DINE & DASH
Family-of-eight racks up £329 bill after gorging on hearty steak & double dessert – but then ‘leaves without paying’
The manager was shocked the following day after a heartwarming twist
A GREEDY family-of-eight were caught stuffing their faces with £329 worth of grub - only to leave without paying.
The shameless clan dined on T-bone steaks, over a dozen soft drinks, and delved into second helpings of dessert, when they visited the Bella Ciao Italian in Port Talbot near Swansea.
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But, when it came to settle the whopping £329 bill, the dine-and-dashers were no where to be seen.
Tyrone Reese, the gobsmacked manager, said staff initially raised suspicions when the guzzlers sent their plates back with half eaten food.
He told the Mirror: "They were ordering the most expensive things on the menu, like T-bone steaks and the like.
"My wife said 'Something's not right.' They went full-on with their order but they were also sending plates back half empty."
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The mum of the family attempted to pay twice, with a savings account card that declined both times.
She told an employee she was going to get her "other card" and instructed her son to wait behind.
But, shortly after leaving, the boy got a phone call and raced out the door, the manager claimed.
Do you know the family or has something similar happened to your restaurant? Email sarah.grealish@the-sun.co.uk
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In a bid to track down the family, Tyrone tried calling them from the number left with their booking - only to discover it was fake.
Left with no other option, the fuming manager reported it to the police.
He also shared footage of the dine-and-dash on X/Twitter, where it stunned 12million viewers.
It encouraged other small restaurant owners to come forward and claim they experienced the same gutting ordeal when a family ditched the bill.
"I don't understand how they [the family] can get away with this. I'm paying my tax for police but I seem to be powerless," added Tyrone.
DINE-AND-DASH LAW EXPLAINED
If a customer or group 'dine-and-dash', they could be charged under section 3 of the 1978 Theft Act.
This deals with people who eat out and leave without paying.
It is considered theft if there is a failure to pay when it is known that payment is required for goods or services.
The offence can carry a prison sentence of up to two years
In a heartwarming twist, locals in the community who watched the CCTV footage fully booked up the restaurant the next day.
The grateful manager said he took it as a "sign of solidarity" and it "felt fantastic".
South Wales Police have been contacted for comment.
It comes as one woman boasted of being the 'most wanted' dine-and-dasher, after allegedly cheating pubs and restaurants out of hundreds.
Shocking moment six women walk out on £140 pub bill after 'stuffing faces' & enjoying booze
The serial offender has been caught on CCTV multiple times executing her plan as she hits venues in Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole.
Meanwhile, two men stuffed their faces with over £110 worth of food before fleeing a Vietnamese restaurant in a "perfect plan".
They guzzled beer and gorged on spicy beef pho, rice and noodles for two hours at Viet80s in Nottingham.
But after telling staff they were nipping out for a cig - they jumped in a car and sped off without paying.
Elsewhere in the country, a pub was ravaged by a 'dine and dash' family of 12, who dodged a bill of £260 - including a steak and ten pints.
The Britannia Inn in Par, Cornwall, claimed that between 2pm and 4pm a family left while the waitress' back was turned when it was time to pay.
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Plus, the shocking moment a gang of pensioners appeared to distract staff to allegedly skip out on a £100 bill was caught on camera.
CCTV shows the party-of-four as they leave the Med-Mex Restaurant and Bar in Hornsea, East Yorkshire.
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