Dine and dashers hiding plastic in food, and not paying bills

After one such incident, Maclean tried to locate the offenders on social media.

“Afterwards, the couple did call us to ask if we could remove their faces from social media and we said we’ll happily remove the post if they pay the bill which they refused to do – ultimately it’s theft,” she said.

“I don’t think there is a lot the police can do, which is a shame because then it doesn’t discourage people from doing it, but you just have to hope that people are going to be honest, and the majority of people are honest and decent.”

Devon and Cornwall Police urged more businesses to send in evidence when incidents happen, instead of using social media to try and track down the culprits.

Other restaurants and pubs have also used social media to track down people who have run off without paying.

Just set back from the bustling fishing harbour, general manager of The Swordfish pub Trevelyan Worth said customers had walked out without paying bills £140 and £380 in the last year.

After posting about the incidents on social media, one customer did eventually pay their bill, but the other one remains unresolved.

“The highest damage aside from the finance is trust,” he said.

“You go into a lot of businesses these days and you are expected to pay up front. I still operate on trust.”