Dine and dash hitting business hard - restaurateur

Andy Sparsis, from The Fish Factory, said dine and dash was hitting businesses hard

Restaurants are being hit hard by people leaving without paying for their meals, a Worthing businessman has said.

Andy Sparsis, from The Fish Factory, has said the crime known as “dine and dash” is having a significant impact in the town.

He said VAT was high, the cost of food was “extortionate” and utilities “unaffordable”, so profits were now minimal and many restaurants were working for free to keep going.

In a statement, Sussex Police said it took dine and dash incidents seriously, irrespective of the value.

'Lack of respect'

The force said: “The business crime team works with victims to gather evidence and take appropriate action, and we will hold offenders to account.”

Mr Sparsis, who is also chairman of the Worthing Hospitality Federation, said: “Recently, it’s got a lot worse. There’s a lot more people dining and dashing.

"Eating out is now an expensive experience, so it’s worth people – certainly the criminals – putting the effort into eating a lot of food and running because they get a lot back from what they do, and it’s hitting us hard.”

Mr Sparsis said high costs and minimal profits meant restaurants did not have a spare £100

At Café No 35 in Canterbury, Anna Chapman said an incident there was being investigated by Kent Police.

She said a group of customers sat outside to eat and had been “racking up quite a large bill”.

After they finished, they went inside and a man asked for more food because his wife was joining them, but when the waitress went downstairs, they left without paying, she said.

She said the restaurant was now taking payment at the point when customers placed their orders.

Dine and dash is said to be having a significant impact in the town

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said walking out of restaurants without paying was unacceptable and showed “a complete lack of respect”.

She said: “We would encourage any operators who experience walkouts to report it to the police.”