'Dine and dashers' sneak out of Turkish restaurant one by one after racking up £160 bill - with children among those fleeing without paying

By PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:13, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 12:17, 7 July 2026 An entire family of 'dine and dashers' was caught sneaking out of a Turkish restaurant without paying their £160 bill. A group of five adults and four children scoffed a sharing platter, lamb ribs, beers and other drinks at Turkish Kitchen in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, before piling into a 'getaway' van and making off. General manager Klaus Ademi said the group appeared 'normal' and did not over-order, but when it was time to settle the bill they said they would 'in a minute'. CCTV shows the group walking out of the restaurant in small groups and sauntering across the road. They did this until just one diner, wearing a blue t-shirt, was left sitting at the table. He also then casually walked out of the restaurant before jumping into a white van, which had been parked directly outside.    'Angry' Klaus believes the family's staggered exit was all part of a plot to dodge paying. He posted the clip to Facebook to warn other businesses about the group and urge the family to come forward and pay their bill.  Klaus says he planned to report the group to the police. A group of five adults and four children snuck out of a restaurant in small groups  The final diner, in a blue t-shirt, strolled casually out of the door with the £160 still outstanding Klaus, from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, said: 'They were normal and they were ordering normal food, not exaggerating or over-ordering drinks. 'They kept saying, "We're going to pay soon, just in a minute." 'Then they all started to leave one by one and he [the last diner] left as well with the car waiting right in front of the door. 'It was like a getaway car. It was a whole plan to leave without paying. 'He walked out quickly and the staff saw him leaving and checked whether they had paid with someone else but they hadn't. 'This hasn't happened before. It's a family business and it's quite a large loss, especially right now when restaurants are struggling.' Klaus says the family had ordered a sharing platter, lamb ribs, three beers, a strawberry daiquiri, a Coke Zero and a lemonade. The general manager, who has worked at the family business for seven years, says he was off shift when the incident happened but his shocked staff showed him the CCTV footage. They left without paying a bill of almost £160, after scoffing a sharing platter and lamb ribs The final diner got into a white 'getaway' van that had been parked just outside Klaus said: 'It is hard to make a profit with all the costs rising. It doesn't just affect us money-wise, it affects the staff emotionally. 'You serve them all night, give them good food and good service and then they leave and not pay for anything. 'When the staff told me about it I was shocked, angry and upset.' In Klaus's Facebook post he addressed the group and told them they 'have the opportunity to do the right thing by contacting us and settling the outstanding bill'. The post said: 'Today, a group of five adults and four children left our restaurant without paying their £159.60 bill. 'This was not a misunderstanding or an accidental oversight. 'From everything we witnessed, it appeared to be a deliberate decision to leave without paying. 'Independent restaurants are already under enormous pressure so rising food costs, wages, energy bills and other business expenses mean that every pound counts. 'A £159.60 loss is significant for a family-run business like ours and directly affects our staff, suppliers and our ability to keep serving the community. 'Our premises are fully covered by CCTV and we have saved footage of the incident. 'This matter will be reported to the police and all available evidence will be provided. 'We would also like to make other local restaurants, cafes and businesses aware of this incident so they can remain vigilant. 'We are not asking anyone to make assumptions, only to be cautious and aware. 'To the people involved - you still have the opportunity to do the right thing by contacting us and settling the outstanding bill. 'To all of our loyal customers, thank you for your continued support. Your honesty and kindness are what keep independent businesses like ours going. 'Please share this post to help us reach the people involved and to raise awareness among other local businesses.'