Suspected 'dine

Release time：2024-05-21 08:18:45 Source：International Insights news portal

A suspected serial 'dine-and-dash' couple who have been chased over a string of 'food thefts' at struggling restaurants have had their windows smashed by a masked gang, MailOnline can reveal.

Police have launched an investigation after a three-bedroom house in Port Talbot, south Wales had its front downstairs windows smashed by a gang of men in black balaclavas.

Neighbours told MailOnline they heard what they thought was gunfire and called police to the house, which is said to be rented by a couple allegedly behind a 'dine and dash' racket.

At least seven restaurants have claimed that a couple allegedly behind a 'dine and dash' racket have been ordering expensive menu items - typically steaks - before fleeing and leaving the bill unpaid. 

South Wales Police said they have arrested two suspects, aged 41 and 39, for fraud and theft offences. They have been taken in for questioning at Swansea Police Station. 

The windows of the couple's pebble-dashed property have been boarded up and officials from the housing association who own it have measured up to put in replacement glass. 

An elderly neighbour told MailOnline: 'It was about 10.30pm when a car pulled up and three men in balaclavas got out. The family were inside at the time but they didn't hold back - I heard the front windows being smashed, it was like a gun going off.' 

As well as restaurants, other local businesses also allegedly fallen victim to the couple, MailOnline has learned. 

MARCH: CCTV footage shows a woman leaving The Yard Pizzeria in Cowbridge having allegedly built up a £151 tab with her partner whilst sat with a group of six

Police are investigating after a three-bedroom house in Port Talbot had its front downstairs windows smashed by a gang of men in black balaclavas

AUGUST 2023: The couple at the River House Lounge & Restaurant in Swansea 

The boarded up windows of the Port Talbot house

The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea and The Yard in Cowbridge believe that they are all victims of the 'dine and dashers'

Phil Carey, the owner of a blinds company, claimed: 'When I went around to measure up all the windows in the house, I gave her the bill for £850 and she made some excuse about having to leave to take her baby to the doctor.

'She said she would pay the money by bank transfer. I started to think I was going to have a problem. I'm a one-man band and £850 is a lot of money. People have advised me to go to the police or the small claims court but I don't think I'll get what I'm owed.' 

It comes after we obtained CCTV footage showing a woman leaving The Yard Pizzeria in Cowbridge, having allegedly racked up a £151 bill with a group of six in March.

Emily Langford, the manager of the family-run restaurant the Yard, said each member of the group ordered starters, mains and two bottles of fizzy drinks each. Once they had finished, most of them allegedly left the premises, leaving the woman to settle the tab.

She allegedly came to the counter and tried to pay with her card, which was declined twice, before asking staff for the nearest cashpoint and disappearing out of sight after walking out of the door.

The windows of the couple's pebble-dashed property have been boarded up

Ms Langford told MailOnline: 'They left the woman to pay. And she stood up and said 'Oh, is it okay? If I come to the bar to pay?' and we said that was fine.

'She was basically buttering me and my mum up and was saying lots of nice things to us. But as she put her card in it got declined. She was like 'oh that's weird' and it declined again.

'She said she would call her son and sort out a bank transfer, but we weren't comfortable with that and asked if she could pay in cash and showed her where the nearest cashpoint was.

'I showed her where it was and as I turned my head back through the door to tell my mum she was at the cashpoint, by the time I turned around again she was gone.'

This 'dine and dash' playbook has been allegedly deployed by the couple in each of the outlets they have hit in the past year. 

Staff at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Swansea say they were the latest victims of this heist when the couple sat with a group of eight in their restaurant on Friday night and allegedly left without paying the £329 bill. 

CCTV footage from the restaurant showed the woman attempting to pay the bill with a savings account card, which was declined twice. 

She allegedly told staff her son would wait inside while she went to get her 'other card', but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises.

A similar trick was allegedly used by the couple at the River House last year, when they ran up a hefty bill whilst sitting on a table of five and 'promised' to get cash from the local cash point after their card got declined.

But the diners never returned, leading the restaurant owners to call the police.

The Somerset Arms in Port Talbot, The Longbow Beefeater in Pontyclun, the Chilli Too Indian restaurant in Clydach, La Casona in Skewen, the Riverhouse Lounge and Restaurant in Swansea also believe they are all victims. 

FRIDAY: The couple with a large group at the Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Port Talbot

The mother allegedly told staff her son (left) would wait inside while she went to get her 'other card', but she did not return and moments later the boy had also vanished from the premises

FEBRUARY: The woman at the Mediterranean eatery La Casona, in Skewen

On August 9, 2023, they posted a CCTV image of the couple in their establishment and wrote: 'Thank you so much to everyone for sharing. 12 positive identifications and the Police are now dealing with the information we have been given.

'Please SHARE to help identify these. They run up a very hefty bill (for 5) and 'promised' to get cash from the local cashpoint after their card got declined. We like to put some trust in people, but this was obviously carefully planned as they all just disappeared!'

After hearing the Bella Ciao story on Friday, the La Casona restaurant in Skewen, Neath, took to social media this weekend to share a similar story about the couple, who sat down to eat as a group of six on February 23.

According to the restaurant, four of the group left the building after finishing their meal, which cost nearly £300, leaving the mother to stay with a 'young boy' to pay.

The business posted a CCTV image of the mother, who told staff she would get another card from her car after the one she used was declined.

The restaurant asked the boy to wait with them while she went to the car, but he was gone 10 seconds later and never returned.

They wrote on Facebook: 'We asked the boy to stay and wait for her in the restaurant. She left, and 10 seconds after, the boy started to run to the car.

'We sent CCTV recordings, photos, and even the registration plate number. The response was: 'This vehicle is connected to many people…'

'Two months later, we called to ask about our case. There was no update, but the Officer would contact us... We believed reporting to the police would help to prevent such events for other restaurants—but apparently, it didn't.'

Having been given the bill, CCTV footage shows the mother of the group attempting to pay with a savings account card which got declined twice

Leaving a restaurant without paying is a crime and carries a prison sentence of up to two years. 

In a statement, South Wales Police said: 'Two people have been arrested following reports of several incidents of non-payment of restaurant bills and shoplifting.

'A 41-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, both from Sandfields, Port Talbot, have been arrested for fraud (obtaining services dishonestly) and theft offences. They are currently in police custody at Swansea Central police station.

'Our investigation is ongoing.'

The force was unable to say if the attack on the family home was connected to the spate of dine-and-dashes. 

The spokeswoman said: 'We were called on April, Wednesday 17, just before 10.30pm with a report of a disturbance at a property. 

'Officers attended and found several windows smashed. Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances around the incident and to identify the person or persons responsible.'

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