A MAN and two kids racked up a hefty breakfast bill which included FIVE COKES before they fled.
The shameless crooks left an independent cafe owner £55 down when they made a run for it after demolishing two fried breakfasts and three portions of chips.
SWNSThe moment the dad walked up to the counter to order hefty grub[/caption]
SWNSCCTV footage captured the brazen thief and his children racking up the free food[/caption]
SWNSThe dad was quick enough to leave the table and shoot off the restaurant without paying the bill[/caption]
Caught red-handed on CCTV, the man speedily left his outdoor table accompanied by a teen boy and a young girl who appeared to be dressed in pyjamas.
Staff said the man was acting odd while eating and kept looking through the window.
After clearing his plate, the brazen thief then headed straight for the counter.
He ordered more food for his wife who he claimed was meeting them shortly.
But when the waitress returned after giving their new order to the kitchen, the trio were nowhere to be seen.
The group, who also had five cokes and a milkshake on their unpaid bill, dined and dashed from No.35 in Canterbury on June 3.
Owner Anna Carpenter was left “shaken up” and feels she’s been dealt a real blow to her small business.
She told KentOnline: “They kept trying to get my waitresses’ attention, who would then go out again and they would order more.
“My waitress said she started to feel uneasy because the man would keep peering through the window looking inside the cafe. He did it so often that she did feel that something wasn’t quite right and she certainly felt uncomfortable.
“We’re just doing the best we can to stay in business so for somebody to steal from us hurts and affects all of the staff. It’s really upsetting.”
Anna shared footage of the incident on Facebook in a bid to warn other business owners in the area.
It comes after a serial dine-and-dash couple admitted skipping out on restaurant bills worth more than £1,000.
Bernard McDonagh, 41, and his wife Ann McDonagh, 39, were caught on camera striking at a string of eateries across Wales.
The shameless couple, who have three children, rung up bills totalling £1,168.10 from five different restaurants.
They last month pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.
Kerry Ann Stevens and partner Daniel Alani have also been accused of fleecing local businesses across Southend, Essex, out of hundreds of pounds.
Their latest target, the Castle Inn in Little Wakering, has released shocking footage of the pair trying to escape on Sunday, 21 April, after racking up £62.
And a single diner in Kent scoffed down lamb chops and gulped a pornstar martini costing £65 before walking off.
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