Penarth restaurant customers say £115 dine-and-dash was ‘misunderstanding’

Backstedt-Calvert added dine-and-dash incidents had gotten “worse and worse” in recent years.

He said: “Five years ago, I don’t want to say it was uncommon, but now across our restaurants it’s probably once a month now, in the last year.”

Restaurants have “really good success” in posting appeals for people who leave without paying on social media, he said.

“Rightly or wrongly so, we always choose to take this to social media first.

“Ultimately, the restaurant want the bill paid. The best resolution that can happen from this is having that bill paid.

“Putting it on social media you’re going direct to the source, and there’s a good chance people will come forward from that.”