A family which ‘did a runner’ from a Cornish restaurant without paying have struck previously, it has been reported. Two couples with a baby and toddler were spotted on CCTV leaving The Fisherman’s Arms near Penzance, Cornwall on Father’s Day without forking out for their meals.
Manager of The Fisherman’s Arms in Newlyn, near Penzance, Lucy told The Mirror one of the men approached the bar and enquired how much their bill was. She said: “One of them came up to the bar, had a look at the bill and said the women were in the toilet. He said they were going out for a cigarette and would come back to settle up, but they left, the Mirror reported.
“The women weren’t in the toilet, they had already left.” Now an Indian restaurant owner claims a family accused of walking off without paying a £215 bill “did the same to him”.
Karim Ullah, who runs the Brohmon restaurant in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, has said he recognises two of the group members. He claimed that they ran up a bill of £182.15, and similarly left without settling up after saying they were going for a cigarette on April 29 - around two months earlier than the Cornish incident.
The 50-year-old told MailOnline: “As soon as I saw the images, I knew that it was the same people who did a runner from my restaurant. I’ll never forget them, especially the man with the bushy beard, who I spoke to and the woman in a denim jacket.
“I’m disgusted by what they did to me and what they did to this pub.” He said he provided CCTV to the police who didn’t take further action.
The manager of the Cornish pub added: “They are not from round here, you want to trust people, but this wasn’t an accidental walk off.
“You can see one of the men shushing the other as they walk away on the CCTV.”
Devon and Cornwall Police have said it is looking into the incident from last weekend. A force spokesman said: “Police are aware of an incident where it is alleged that a group of people left The Fisherman’s Arms in Newlyn without paying their bill, late afternoon on Sunday June 18.
“Enquiries continue into this matter. Anyone with any information that could assist the police is asked to contact 101.”
