Customers at a Penarth restaurant said their £115 meal and dash was a ‘misunderstanding’.

Backstedt-Calvert added that eat-and-dash incidents have become “worse and worse” in recent years.

“Five years ago, I don’t want to say it was unusual, but now in our restaurants maybe once a month, last year,” he said.

Restaurants have had “really good success” posting appeals to people who walk away without paying on social media, he said.

“Right or wrong, we always choose to take this to social media first.

“Ultimately, the restaurant wants to pay the bill. The best possible outcome is that the bill is paid.”

“If you put it on social media, you go straight to the source, and there’s a good chance people will come forward from there.”