This is the moment four ‘dine and dashers’ flee from an Indian restaurant with two waiters in hot pursuit.
CCTV shows the group of men arriving at the Saffron in Northampton and being shown to their seats at 10.11pm on August 4.
The diners then feasted on almost £200 of food, according to a bill posted by the restaurant on Facebook.
The meal, which came to £197.30, included poppadoms, lamb chops, four chicken curries, three chicken chats and a selection of naans and chapatis.
Video footage shared by the restaurant online from 10.58pm then 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.
A group dined and dashed from the Saffron Bangladeshi & Nepalese restaurant in Northampton on August 4
The meal, which came to £197.30, included poppadoms, lamb chops, four chicken curries, three chicken chats and a selection of naans and chapatis – as well as NINE cokes
Four men can be seen arriving at the Saffron Restaurant shortly after 10pm on August 4, 2025
‘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.’
The owners of Saffron told The Metro that the theft had a ‘big impact’ on the restaurant since business was down.
She said: ‘People go out for a quick smoke and then they do a runner, but this is the first time like this.
‘We’re an upmarket restaurant. There were young waiters around and they weren’t sure what to do.
‘We don’t expect this from anybody running away when they had food. If they want food, if they ask us, we will give them something – free of charge.’
Locals showed their support for the restaurant online, with many encouraging the owners to take a card as a desposit for all bookings.
CCTV footage posted by the restaurant on Facebook shows three of the men standing up and walking out once their waiter’s back is turned
The table of diners then walk past the bar at the front of restaurant as they make a hasty escape
The group are chased out of the door by one of the waiters, with another hot on their tail
One user wrote: ‘Looking at the bill they had no intention to pay…should know better at their age.’
Another said: ‘4 entitled bottom feeders. I hope this comes back to bite them hard.’
A third wrote: ‘Take a credit card to open a tab or take pre payment, protect yourself!’
A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said: ‘We are investigating this incident as a theft and anyone with any information as to who the males are should contact us on 101 quoting incident number 25000457718.’
