Dine-and-dash pair enjoy lavish seafood meal and eight Cokes without paying

A restaurant owner has slammed a "disrespectful" pair who he claims fled without paying for dinner and drinks, including a £52 Dover sole.

They dined at The Custom House in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, on Monday evening, and racked up a £115 bill, which also featured eight Cokes, calamari and a two-course set menu.

When the attention of staff was diverted elsewhere, they allegedly made a run for it - with their vehicle gone from the car park before the manager could catch up with them.

The customers were caught leaving on CCTV, leading the restaurant to issue a social media appeal, asking them to return to the venue and arrange payment.

South Wales Police said it was investigating the incident.

"We'd much rather resolve this directly and appreciate you getting in touch with us as soon as possible," the restaurant wrote.

Tanny Martinez, owner of the restaurant which has been part of the Penarth community for more than 20 years, described the incident as "hugely disappointing for the entire team".

"The hospitality industry is already facing an incredibly challenging economic climate, with rising costs and pressures across the sector, without having to deal with situations like this," he said.

"It's incredibly frustrating when the hard work and dedication that goes into creating great experiences for our customers is not respected."

Martinez added the impact of dine-and-dash crimes "goes beyond the financial loss".

"Situations like this can also have a real effect on the team's morale and wellbeing, especially when so much care and effort goes into every service."

The Custom House sits on the site of the former Penarth Head Inn, which the restaurant says was home to the notorious pirate Edward Edwards in the 1700s.

The Grade II listed Renaissance-style dock building was erected in 1865 to cater for Penarth's flourishing shipping trade and was bought and renovated by the Martinez family in 2000.

It now houses the Martinez Group Restaurants' two venues - El Puerto, where the dine-and-dash pair ate, and La Marina.

It is not the first south Wales dine-and-dash incident to capture attention online in recent years, following the case of Port Talbot couple Bernard and Ann McDonagh whose dine-and-dashing to the value of more than £1,000 at five different restaurants saw them jailed in 2024.

South Wales Police said it "received a report of theft" from The Custom House on 29 June, and encouraged anyone with information to get in touch.