Dine and dash couple are almost caught fleeing a fish and chip shop without paying the £45 bill... when their children aren't in on the act

Published: 11:37, 30 May 2026 | Updated: 11:54, 30 May 2026 A 'dine and dash' couple were nearly caught out by their unsuspecting children as they left a restaurant without paying their bill. The family of four got up to leave The London Fryer fish restaurant in Paignton, Devon, after enjoying £45 worth of food. But the young son almost drew attention to them as he tripped over a step on the way out with his father who put on a pair of sunglasses while passing a video camera. Once outside the mother hid her face from a CCTV camera and tried to get her daughter to do the same but was too late. Despite this they managed to walk away from the family-run restaurant without paying their bill. When staff realised what had happened the manager immediately went outside to look for the family but they had already gone. Thinking it may have been an honest mistake, the owner put out an appeal on social media urging for the customers to get in touch and settle their bill. But after nothing happened they shared images of the family in a bid to warn other restaurants of the so-called dine and dashers. A 'dine and dash' couple were nearly caught out by their unsuspecting two children as they left a restaurant without paying their bill of £45 worth of fish and chips Katy Abbott, manager of The London Fryer, said: 'Perhaps most disappointing of all is the example it sets for young children. 'You simply would not expect a family to leave without paying, let alone involve children in the situation.' The incident took place on the evening of Sunday May 24. The couple - a heavy-set man with tattoos on his arms and legs and a woman wearing a yellow dress - walked in with the two children who appeared to be aged between 10 and 13. They tucked into two cod dinners and two kids meals. Ms Abbott said: 'Our waitress who served the family believed they were simply enjoying a meal out together after the warm sunny day. 'But while the waitress was attending another table, the woman left the premises with the young girl. 'At the time, staff believed the man remained inside to settle the bill, as he and the young boy were still seated at the table. 'However, when staff were momentarily occupied, the man also left the café with the boy without making payment. 'Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, there also appears to be a moment where the woman gestures for the young girl to hide her face while passing the external cameras. 'We posted an online notice and allowed several days for the family to come forward or contact us, however we have received no response. 'After giving ample opportunity for contact and resolution, we may now have no choice but to report the matter further.' Ms Abbott spoke about the impact the incident has had on her staff and business. She said: 'As a family-run business we care deeply about our customers and place a great deal of trust in our local community. 'Incidents like this are particularly upsetting, not only financially but emotionally too. Once outside the mother, wearing a yellow dress, hid her face from a CCTV camera and tried to get her daughter to do the same but was too late The heavy-set man with tattoos on his arms and legs walked out with one of the two children who appeared to be aged between 10 and 13 'Hospitality businesses are already facing incredibly difficult times, and for small independent family businesses, the pressures can be even greater. 'Balancing rising costs, supporting staff, paying bills and still trying to keep prices affordable for customers is an ongoing challenge. 'This incident has also led us to reconsider certain procedures within the business, particularly during busy periods, and we have now introduced additional measures to help prevent situations like this from happening again.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.