Staffordshire Police have arrested a 23-year-old man from Tamworth on suspicion of theft following an incident at a restaurant in Burton-on-Trent. The arrest comes after two individuals allegedly refused to pay a £150 bill, claiming they found a hair in their food.
Incident details
The incident occurred at a restaurant on Station Road in Burton-on-Trent. According to police, the two customers had ordered steaks and cocktails, accumulating a bill of approximately £150. They then refused to pay, reportedly citing the presence of hairs in the food as the reason.
Police were called to the scene at around 4pm on Monday, February 16, and launched an investigation. Following inquiries, a 23-year-old man from Tamworth was arrested on suspicion of theft yesterday, Wednesday, July 22.
Police statement
Sergeant Lee Parden said: "We are determined to crackdown on individuals involved in theft from local businesses and will do all we can to stop people from committing this type of crime, which has a significant impact on local people."
A force spokesperson added: "A man has been arrested on suspicion of theft offences after a restaurant reported a customer not paying a bill in Burton-on-Trent. We were called at 4pm on Monday, February 16 to a restaurant on Station Road. Two people had allegedly entered the restaurant earlier that month and ordered steaks and cocktails worth in the region of £150. They then refused to pay the bill, reportedly suggesting hairs were in the food. Officers attended and launched an investigation. A 23-year-old man, from Tamworth, was arrested yesterday (Wednesday, July 22) on suspicion of theft - other. He has since been placed on conditional police bail while our inquiries continue."
Ongoing investigation
The arrested man has been released on conditional police bail. Police are continuing their inquiries and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. The spokesperson said: "Our inquiries are continuing and anyone with relevant information should call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website, quoting incident number 485 of 16 February. To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
