Shameless customers were caught on camera making a quick escape from a restaurant after racking up a £300 bill.
The women are seen in CCTV footage laughing and chatting as they eat pasta dishes and drink alcohol at La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex.
They suddenly get up from the table and leave the restaurant without paying the bill.
But one young woman doesn’t make it through the door before turning around to pick up her charger from the table beside her.
The woman, wearing a black quilted jacket and a tight white dress underneath, looks on wistfully. looking at his drink that was still on the table before deciding to take it with him, glass and all.
The trio are seen enjoying their pasta and alcoholic drinks at La Bella Vista in East Sussex.
A woman, wearing a white dress and a black quilted jacket, looks at her phone before her quick escape.
The young women are seen fleeing the Italian restaurant without paying their hefty bill.
The hefty bill, which came to £313.98, revealed the women drank two shots of sambuca, two shots of Smirnoff, a Baileys and three medium-sized white wines before fleeing the Italian restaurant without paying.
Sadly, this is not the first time this family-run restaurant has been the target of attacks from “eat and leave” customers.
The frustrated landlord told ITV News Meridian he has lost £1,000 since October last year due to people leaving without paying their bills.
Owner Aldo Esposito said: ‘I feel disappointed and frustrated with the situation because we put a lot of love and effort into the business and dealing with situations like this is very disheartening.
‘Right now, running a business, a family business like this, is quite difficult because of the financial situation.
“So when people come here and take advantage, it’s, you know, hard to accept.”
In January this year, staff at Bella Vista called the police after four mothers and their eight children left an exorbitant bill of £541.
According to the MirrorThree of the four women escaped from the scene, but the fourth was arrested by restaurant staff.
The couple follow the woman who has already left the restaurant, but not before one of them looks longingly at his drink.
The customer goes back to look for her charger and the drink she left on the table.
Taking a sip, he saunters out of the restaurant with the glass in his hand, leaving behind a total bill of over £300.
She was then rushed to the cash machine, although she only took out £60 to cover the bill as it was “all she had”.
A representative for La Bella Vista took to social media and said: ‘Warning to all small business owners!
‘This despicable group brazenly walked into La Bella Vista this afternoon with their 8 children, ordered over £400 worth of food and drink and then refused to pay!
‘The police managed to recover £60 for us, a mere drop in the ocean!
“This is the third time we have been attacked by groups like this in the last few months, so be careful!”
Esposito, the restaurant owner, has installed 16 CCTV cameras to prevent further “eat and go” incidents from occurring.
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