‘Dine and dash’ couple run up £130 bill at Indian restaurant ‘before going for a smoke’
An Indian restaurant has sounded the alarm about an alleged ‘dine and dash’ couple who ploughed their way through £130 worth of alcohol and food before casually leaving one after the other.
The Agra Palace in Nuneaton has shared CCTV images of a man and woman who are said to have left after saying they were going for a smoke.
The couple dined on a Saturday night, with the woman knocking back two bottles of wine and her partner four or five pints of Cobra beer.
She then left a few minutes before the man — who left behind his jacket containing nothing but a packet of Rizla.
They are also thought to have struck at two other dining venues in Warwickshire, using the same ruse.
Restaurant owner Jamal Ullah told Metro: ‘It was about 8.45pm when they came in with no booking.
‘They came in, they sat down, they were a very polite couple.
‘They ordered lots of starters and main courses and had plenty to drink.
‘Towards the end the lady said, “I’m going for a smoke” and went outside.
‘The man was there and then he suddenly said, “I’m going for a smoke as well.”
‘We didn’t think much of it. He had left his jacket there as well.
‘There is nothing in it other than a pack of Rizla.
‘Then that was it, they were gone. We went out and couldn’t see them.
‘From what it looks like, they planned it.’
Mr Ullah wants to alert other venues about the alleged culprits, who visited the award-winning restaurant on March 22.
After he shared the pictures on social media, other users commented that the couple had carried out the same trick elsewhere.
‘We’ve found out that they’ve done this to other restaurants and pubs, and it looks like they’ve been doing this for quite a while,’ he said.
‘This isn’t going to make or break us but it’s the principle.
‘They need to be stopped.’
Another dining establishment in Warwickshire, which did not want to be named, told Metro: ‘They racked up a bill, told the waitress they were going for a cigarette and drove off, thats all there is to it really.’
The Red Lion in Corley, near Coventry, described a couple using a ‘thought out plan’ on March 17.
A spokesperson for the pub told CoventryLive: ‘I’m angry and disappointed. They’ve clearly done it at many other places.
‘They come in and once ordered pop in and out for a smoke, so when they do run I guess it’s so you think they’re just going for a smoke.
‘But the bill was an excessive amount for two people, including bottles of wine, pints of beer and even shots of gin.
‘Starters, the most expensive mains and sides.
‘So it’s a thought out plan they have.
‘They had no intention of paying.’
A Warwickshire Police spokesman said: ‘Enquiries are ongoing as officers work to identify the individuals involved.’
Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk
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