South Wales Police (SWP) arrested a man and woman after a family of eight allegedly went on a dine-and-dash spree, leaving unpaid bills worth hundreds of pounds at several restaurants. The arrests came after multiple restaurants complained that a family had left outstanding bills worth hundreds of pounds. The two people arrested are a 41-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, both from Sandfields, Port Talbot. They have been arrested for fraud (obtaining services dishonestly) and theft offenses and are currently in police custody at Swansea Central police station. The investigation is ongoing.
The arrests follow a series of incidents in which a family was caught on camera allegedly doing a runner at restaurants in Port Talbot, Cowbridge, Swansea, and Skewen. The family allegedly ordered expensive items from the menu, including steaks and double desserts, before leaving without paying. CCTV footage of the family leaving one of the restaurants without paying went viral on social media, leading to their identification and arrest.
One of the restaurants that fell victim to the family’s dine-and-dash spree was Bella Ciao in Port Talbot. Manager Tyrone Reese said he had an odd feeling when the family started sending back plates with meals left half-eaten. 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.”
La Casona, a restaurant near Neath, also claimed to have fallen victim to the family’s dine-and-dash scheme. A restaurant employee posted on social media: “On February 23, six people visited our restaurant and left without paying almost £300. All restaurants reported it to the police, will we get any response? Will justice be served? We don’t think so…” The employee went on to describe how the family left the restaurant without paying, leaving a young boy behind. The boy was later seen running to a car, and the police were called.
The Yard, a restaurant in Swansea, also shared a post on social media, adding: “Honestly so gutted and can’t believe people can have the heart to do this… The whole thing was very well planned out, they must do it often. Just don’t understand how people can do this to a hard-working, struggling independent business.” The Yard’s post included a photo of a woman who allegedly tried to pay for her meal with a declined card and then left the restaurant without paying.
The family’s alleged dine-and-dash spree has sparked outrage on social media, with many people condemning the family’s actions. The family has been accused of being heartless and selfish, and some people have called for them to be banned from restaurants.
