Diners flee after enjoying two bottles of Dom Pérignon

Essex Police have released a CCTV photograph of four people they would like to speak to about a £520 unpaid bill at Milsoms restaurant in Dedham.

The four diners enjoyed two bottles of Dom Pérignon, two bottles of Rioja and a bottle of Pinot Grigio with their dinner, before fleeing the restaurant without paying.

The quartet also feasted on scallops, prawns, steak and lamb shanks and then left, in what the restaurant called a “very well orchestrated manoeuvre”.

Paul Milsom, managing director at the restaurant, said that the diners arrived at about 8.30pm before fleeing just before midnight.

Milsom said that one of the group helped the oldest man into their car and returned to the restaurant to help the woman outside. The final member of the group asked for the bill before saying that he was heading to the toilet. But he then ran out of the restaurant and into the waiting car.

Milsom told the BBC: “We noticed it was something a bit different. They looked a bit suspicious.

“It was very well orchestrated. It looked like they had done it before. Our average spend is not that high, and this was clearly premeditated which is very disheartening. They knew what they were doing. This was no mistake.”

Essex Police said: “Making off without payment is an offence often associated with petrol stations so this is not the circumstances in which we usually expect to see it reported.”

Anyone with information can call PC Dan Smith at Colchester Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.