Naan-paying customers! Hunt for dine-and-dashers who feasted on curry and butter chicken without settling their £58 bill
The pair enjoyed a meal at Cafe Spice in Darlington, County Durham, before apparently leaving to take money from a cash machine - only to fail to return, restaurant owners say.
The suspected dine-and-dashers ordered an array of food which included a chicken curry and tandoori butter chicken, priced at £11.95 and £12.95 respectively.
The diners also sought special rice at £4.95, £5.25 onion bhajis, a pickle tray priced at £2.95, £3.25 chips, three poppadoms costing £2.70 and vegetable samosas at £5.
The meal was washed down with a large Cobra beer, billed at £5.50, as well as a £4 pint of Pepsi.
Now the restaurant traders have shared images and called for help tracking down the 'dash and diners' who allegedly left without paying.
Ishy Miah, 22, whose father owns the restaurant, said: 'It's disgusting, it's theft. You wouldn't go into Sainsburys and steal your shopping so why are you coming into the restaurant and stealing the food?
'This isn't the first time it has happened, we had a couple of women run off without paying last year. We work really hard and shouldn't have to deal with this.
They have appealed for information about a couple alleged to have left without paying their bill
'They were acting weird and said his card had been eaten by a cash machine and asked to pay via bank transfer.
'But then he said that wasn't working and he would have to get cash. We have received messages since the incident from him saying he will pay but he hasn't.
'We posted it on Facebook to gather more information about them before contacting the police.
'When we reported a dine and dash to the police before they said to put it online to get more information so that's what we're doing.'
Cafe Spice has also released a statement appealing for help, saying: 'Imagine adding a bit of spice to your criminal record over a £58 bill.
'These two lovely folks said they were off to get cash after their card declined—never saw them again. Any info would be greatly appreciated.'
Durham Police has been approached for comment.
This latest alleged 'dine and dash' comes after a series of similar sprees - and the revelation this week by TV personality Katie Piper of her experience on a first date.
She told how a man once left her with a £740 restaurant tab after running off due to her facial disfigurement.
The British author and TV presenter, 41, was the victim of a horrific acid attack set up by her ex-boyfriend when she was 24 - leaving her with severe scarring to her face, neck, chest, arms and hands.
Speaking at the Hay Festival, Piper recalled the shocking moment a man she had met in a bar invited her to the Japanese restaurant Nobu in central London, before doing a runner.
She said: 'We'd met on a night out. I'd had pioneering treatment with incredible results, so when I would go out somewhere with dark lighting, where people were very drunk, often they weren't able to see what I fully looked like.
'So I met this guy and we messaged for quite a long time. He suggested we go out for dinner.
'I hated going out for dinner because I had a lot of oesophageal damage and often I'd choke when I ate, so the whole idea of eating in front of someone on a first date was nerve-wracking, but I agreed.'
The date took place in summer so it was daylight, the star said, and she realised straight away the man had not realised she had a facial disfigurement when first meeting her in the bar.
The date had chosen the dinner location and ordered a three-course meal,she added - telling the podcast: 'He said, "I've seen some people I know over there, I'm going to go and say hi to them and I'll be back". He didn't come back.'
Author and TV presenter Katie Piper (pictured at the BAFTA Television Awards in London last month) told this week of her experience of being a 'dine and dash' victim on a first date
Piper, now a married mother of two, said she ran through 'ridiculous excuses' as she sat at the table, considering if the man might have suddenly become ill.
She did not have a lot of money at the time, living on disability benefit after the acid attack, but ended up paying the £740 restaurant bill on her own.
Piper said the man got back in touch with her years later after seeing her on Strictly Come Dancing, not to offer an apology but to joke: 'We must catch up!'
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