Restaurant staff ‘attacked by dine-and-dashers who refused to pay bill’

This is the moment a couple began fighting restaurant staffin a dispute over paying a bill.

CCTV footage shows a man and a woman fighting workers at La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings in East Sussex last weekend.

A man in a red top and a woman in a black top can be seen in a confrontation with staff, who then try to get them to leave.

As they exit she can be seen throwing glasses and cutlery before removing a tabletop and smashing it on the floor.

Emilia Esposito, administration manager at the Italian restaurant, spoke about the ordeal and said the couple had been acting ‘strange’ during the meal.

She said: ‘They were refusing to make eye contact and asking for off-menu items. They also asked for their drinks to be extra strong.

‘They became increasingly rude and disrespectful to us throughout the meal. They complained about the food after finishing their main courses, saying it was disgusting.

‘They then said they weren’t going to pay, and because this has happened to us before, we insisted that they had to pay. That’s when they started to argue, and it escalated. The man went after our boss and attacked him. He came around the back of the bar and started pushing him.

‘The woman then picked up and smashed our glass tabletops out the front of the restaurant. Our boss has visible cuts on his face, the staff have bruises from where they were trying to defend the restaurant and our boss.’

Emilia said the incident was ‘scary’ but brought the team together.

Restaurant manager Kat Cmokova said some colleagues has been turned ‘black and blue’ during the altercation.

She told the BBC: ‘The owner, my boss, had his finger dislocated and cuts on his face. And the rest of the staff had some bruising.My colleagues keep coming up to me to tell me they found more bruises overnight. They are black and blue.’

Sussex Police said a 39-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, common assault, and assault.

She has since been bailed pending further enquiries, as officers try to identify a further suspect.

The force said: ‘On Saturday October 12 at around 5.40pm, officers responded to a report of a woman and man fighting with staff and damaging property inside a restaurant in Grand Parade, St Leonards.

‘A further report was made to police that a weapon had also been used to threaten staff following a dispute over payment of their bill.

‘Officers arrested a 39-year-old woman from Crawley nearby in Saxon Street on suspicion of criminal damage, common assault, and assault.

‘She was taken to custody, and has since been bailed with strict conditions pending further enquiries.’

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