This is the moment a suspected dine-and-dasher threw a steak at a restaurant owner before allegedly leaving without paying a £800 bill.
A group of nine diners are said to have arrived at Tinel Seafood & Grill in Grantham, Lincolnshire before ordering some of the most expensive drinks and dishes on the menu.
The owner Flávio Serra, said he accommodated the group as a last-minute booking but found they were rude and disruptive, with one of them storming into his kitchen.
CCTV shot on Friday, June 28 shows Mr Serra confronting the man – only for the thug to throw his well-done steak in his face.
A furious argument then erupted, with both men pointing their fingers in each other’s face.
The diner is also seen battering a lobster cracking kit he had been given on the table, leaving it damaged.
Mr Serra said the group later walked out leaving an unpaid bill totalling £758.22.
The diner throws his well-done steak at Flávio Serra, owner of Tinel Seafood & Grill in Grantham, Lincolnshire
The diner is also seen battering a lobster cracking kit he had been given on the table, leaving it damaged.
Taking to Facebook to share his heartbreak, he wrote: ‘This is not just theft, it’s a slap in the face to everything I’ve worked so hard to build over the past four or more years.
‘What makes it even more painful is that some of them were previous customers who had dined with us before, always enjoyed the experience, and left glowing reviews.
‘This time, they brought along others, some locals, others unknown, and together, they disrespected me, my team, and my business in ways I never imagined.
‘I cooked every dish from scratch, making sure every plate left my kitchen with the same high standards we’re known for. Despite the last-minute booking, I went above and beyond, as I always do.’
Mr Serra said he had passed the CCTV footage on to police and urged anyone who had any information to get in touch with officers.
The proud chef described suffering sleepless nights since the horrific incident but thanked local people for ‘standing with me’.
He continued: ‘I’ve had sleepless nights since this happened. I feel angry, disappointed, and betrayed.
‘But I also know the power of community, and I know you have my back, just like you did during the last incident earlier this year.’
Tinel has been open for more than four years and serves specialities from the Algarve
Mr Serra said he had passed the CCTV footage on to police and urged anyone who had any information to get in touch with officers
Mr Serra claimed the group had always intended not to pay and deliberately ordered only the most expensive items.
He is far from the first restaurateur to be nursing losses after seeing diners leave without paying.
In an incident on August 4, two waiters were seen running after a group of four men who left a Bangladeshi and Nepalese restaurant in Northampton without settling their £200 bill.
Video footage shared by the restaurant shows three of the men waiting for their waiter to walk out of sight before getting to their feet.
They walk slowly to the exit before sprinting out of the door once they realise they are being pursued by two of the restaurant’s employees.
In a warning to other local businesses posted on Facebook, the Saffron wrote: ‘Last night at approximately 10:15 PM, four young men entered our restaurant, enjoyed a full meal, and left without paying.
‘This kind of behaviour isn’t just theft, it affects hardworking small businesses and our local community.
‘We have reported the incident to the police, and footage has been handed over. We urge neighbouring businesses to stay alert.
‘If you recognise these individuals or have any information, please contact us directly or report it to the police. Help us hold these people accountable, there’s no place for this kind of behaviour in our community. Name and shame. let’s protect each other.’
In an incident on August 4, two waiters were seen running after a group of four men who left Saffron restaurant in Northampton without settling their £200 bill
Lincolnshire Police said of the incident in Grantham: ‘We received a report on 29 June that a party of around 8 to 10 people left a restaurant in Grantham without a paying a bill which was just over £700.
‘There had been a dispute between the party and the staff prior to the group leaving the premises without paying the bill.
‘We have followed a number of lines of enquiry, including circulating images of the people involved, and nobody has been identified from those efforts.
‘There are no further evidential opportunities identified at present, but we would urge anyone with information to get in touch, quoting incident 236 of June 29.’
