Group accused of leaving restaurant 'without paying €381 bill' caught on CCTV

A newly-opened restaurant has accused a group-of-eight of leaving without paying their bill after ordering “the most expensive things on the menu”.

The visitors allegedly feasted on expensive steaks and double deserts while knocking back 15 bottles of fizzy drinks on Friday night.

Bella Ciao Italian restaurant in Port Talbot, Wales shared details of the alleged ‘dine and dash’ on social media, including CCTV footage which has since been watched by 12 million people and attracted widespread fury.

After enjoying the hearty meal, the diners are accused of leaving with their £329 (€381) bill unpaid.

Tyrone Reese, the manager, told Mirror UK that his wife – who also works in the family-run business – became suspicious as the group were sending back plates with half-eaten meals.

He explained: “They were ordering the most expensive things on the menu, like T-bone steaks and the like. My wife said ‘Something’s not right.’ They went full-on with their order but they were also sending plates back half empty.”

After the meal, he claims a woman attempted to settle the tab with a savings account card, which was declined twice. She then allegedly told staff that ‘her son’ would wait inside while she went out to ‘get her other card’.

Reese claims she did not return.

Bella Ciao recently opened in Port Talbot, Wales

The saga continued as the boy then received a phone call and allegedly did a “runner”. Reese said: “My son was about to go after him but I told him not to.”

The restaurant was left even more frustrated when they learned that the contact number provided by the group was “a fake”, Reese claims. He was left with “no choice but to report it to the police”.

The story quickly gained traction on social media, with over 12 million people viewing a post about the alleged incident on X, formerly known as Twitter. Reese says he was flooded with calls from other local restaurants who claimed to have experienced similar incidents involving a group not paying their bill.

The restaurant also received an unexpected boost the following day. From serving 40 tables on Friday, it saw a surge to 120 bookings the following day.

Reese added: “When we opened we had 15 phone calls wanting bookings after what happened last night. I took it as a sign of solidarity. I felt fantastic, not about the money but about how people reacted positively to such a negative situation.”

In an update, the restaurant said: “Thank you to everyone who has shared this post and messaged us with information, the police are aware of who they are.”

The Mirror UK has contacted South Wales Police for comment.

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