A group of women made headlines for a dine-and-dash incident at a Norwich eatery, leaving behind a hefty bill of £312.
The incident occurred on the evening of October 5 at Cheers restaurant, where the group indulged in a lavish meal featuring steaks, cocktails, and 11 Baileys before fleeing without paying.
In response, Norfolk police have released photographs of the suspects, urging the public to help identify the individuals involved in the theft.
Owner of Cheers, Andrea Marinho, shared the details of the extravagant order, which she had to cover from her day’s earnings. The receipt showed over £130 was spent on steaks alone, while 11 Baileys shots accounted for £71.50.
The group also ordered a variety of alcoholic beverages, two appetizers, and capped off their meal with a dessert, making their escape before settling the bill.
The dine-and-dashers also bought multiple different alcoholic drinks, two starters and finally a dessert.
CCTV shows the women enjoying a hearty meal as they down their drinks with their young children sat beside them.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, restaurant owner Andrea Marinho said staff were ‘not suspicious of the woman at all’ when they arrived for a meal without a booking and two children in tow.
CCTV from the incidents, shows the four women brazenly walk out of the eatery one at a time before the staff realise what has happened and rush after them
CCTV shows the women enjoying a hearty meal as they down their drinks with their young children sat beside them
Speaking to the Daily Mail, restaurant owner Andrea Marinho said staff were ‘not suspicious of the woman at all’ when they arrived for a meal. Pictured: The four women after they arrived
CCTV shows staff at Cheers running after the women moments after they left
She said: ‘They were eating a lot, they order too much food lots of different plates and we thought they were celebrating something because they had a lot of alcohol, they had beers, cocktails they asked for shots.’
‘We thought they were having fun at the table and they didn’t look drunk.
‘The staff thought they were normal customers and they were all well dressed’.
However after polishing off their massive meal and having spent over two hours in the restaurant the woman and their young children then leave without paying the bill.
CCTV from the incidents, shows the four women brazenly walk out of the eatery one at a time before the staff realise what has happened and rush after them.
Ms Marinho continued: ‘We have two rooms in the restaurant – a front room and a back room – and one staff member was in the back and the other was doing something with the chef.
‘They came back in saw they had left and the room was empty and he went out front and saw that they were running down the street and he shouted: “You didn’t pay the bill”.’
‘So they called the police right away.’
Pictured: The enormous bill four dine-and-dashers racked up and the restaurant owner Andrea Marinho who paid for the bill out of the earnings for the day
Ms Marinho added: ‘I was really really upset because we opened in January we’re very new in town and you have all those struggles in the first months and try to make people come. And then we have this happen and I have to pay the bill out of the profits for that day.’
‘I couldn’t believe it because we’re fighting to bring customers in and were still adapting and people think they can walk in spend £300 and walk out.’
A spokesperson for Norfolk police said: ‘Police are releasing CCTV images of four women they would like to speak to in connection with a theft.
‘The incident happened on 5 October at 6.10pm on Surrey Street, Norwich when a group of women entered a restaurant and failed to pay for their meal before leaving.
‘Anyone who recognises those featured in the images or has any information that could help the investigation is asked to contact Norfolk Police via any of the following channels quoting reference: 36/72063/25.’
The dine and dash comes weeks after a couple visited three restaurants across four days and racked up £500 in bills without paying.
Lauren Halliday and her boyfriend indulged in expensive meals at a number of upmarket restaurants across Newcastle that included Victors, Hula and Lui’s.
But the pair strategically crafted a number of explanations for their inability to pay that included failing to return after having a cigarette, alongside problems with their online banking apps.
Police have launched a manhunt for dine-and-dashers after four young women fled a restaurant without paying
Police have since released images of the group and have asked anyone who recognises the thieves to contact them
At one point, the 33-year-old did a runner despite promising to return to the restaurant to settle up her tab.
And in July, a family of 10 were accused of ‘barging their way out’ of a popular pub after ‘refusing to pay’ the £320 food bill.
Kelly Jollife, 49, landlady of the Greyhound Inn in Usk, Wales, said each member of the large group ordered a starter and main course, consumed them fully, but then refused to pay for anything other than their drinks.
Ms Jollife added the family then ‘barged past’ the pub’s chefs and departed in two cars.
In a social media post, she explained: ‘Warning to all other restaurants and pubs Shocking thing happened today with us here at the Greyhound.
‘After doing 150 fabulous roast dinners today unfortunately one table of 10 decided they were not going to pay their £328.90 bill after eating everything.
‘It then got extremely confrontational between them and my team.’
