London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Restaurant hit with £500 bill after diners leave without paying

A restaurant was left with a bill of nearly £500 after a group of diners walked out without paying for their meal.
Les Enfants Terribles in Weymouth were forced to foot the cost for a group of 12 customers, including adults with children in pushchairs, after they steadily left the table until there was no one left to pay.

This act, commonly nicknamed ‘dine and dash’, is classed as a form of fraud and can have incredibly negative effects on restaurants.

The owner and chef Eric Tavernier, who has been scammed before with this scheme, says his suspicions were raised after the group ordered the most expensive items on the menu, and asked to be seated outside.

He told reporters: ‘I asked the guy to give me some credit card deposit over the phone, and he suddenly said he’s been with us before. Even so, he did not really know where we were.

‘They didn’t really want to come in, they were staying away from the video.’

At this point, he asked again for a deposit for some form of protection, as their order had come to £468 – yet, the chef claims they ‘weren’t really happy to do that’.

Unfortunately, he later discovered an issue with the card they used for the deposit.

Soon after the incident on August 1, the group were then caught in a street fight with other customers, who’d been filming their escape. The police broke up the fracas, but enquiries are still ongoing regarding the unpaid bill.

The restaurant, which describes itself as an ‘unpretentious, cosy bistro specialising in an array of fresh seafood plates with a French influence’, is one of several seafront eateries in the area and Mr Tavernier was worried that they may attempt to do the same elsewhere.

‘I think they knew exactly what they were doing,’ he added.

‘I feel kind of angry for myself but I can’t really do any more about it so what I want is for everybody to know who they are because they will move about as they do and they will go to other places and they will keep doing it.’

Dine-and-dashers can be found guilty of theft and those who are caught dodging their bill can face up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to £1,000.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×