A restaurant has hit out at a party of diners who it is claimed gorged on lobster and steak before allegedly dashing from the premises without paying their £489 bill.

Stubbs Restaurant in Ashford, Kent, welcomed seven diners in for lunch on Sunday but claimed it was left with a near £500 black hole in its balance sheet after the customers left without paying.

The owner took to Facebook to post photos of the diners alongside their receipt.

The eye-watering bill included three lobster, crab and shrimp cocktails coming to nearly £60, two servings of Brie coming to £17.90 and two portions of six oysters worth £16 each. And that was just the starters.

The table ordered three Lobster Thermidors plus a large Lobster Thermidor, coming to a total of £216. On top of this the party ordered an entrecote steak costing £28.

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A luxurious meal of this kind required a suitable selection of high-end beverages. The diners are said to have quaffed a couple of glasses of Malbec as well as Pinot Grigio and Shiraz, topping that off with three pints of Thatchers.

The whopping bill came to 10 pence short of £490 according to the receipt.

The social media post from the restaurant read: “Please come back and pay your bill! We are a private restaurant and will not survive with you doing this to us.

“You ate all of your meal and we gave you fabulous service…yet you drove off, as fast as you could, without paying…”

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Although most commenters shared the restaurant’s incredulity and anger, some suggested the establishment could have done more to protect themselves.

Neil Camp wrote: “Whilst I sympathise with Stubbs this has now happened on numerous occasions. Take a credit card at point of order and a deposit of £50 per person.”

Aniko Szocs commented: “I am sorry this has happened. Hope they will settle the bill! Maybe you should consider taking a deposit in the future to have some guaranteed money.”

In general though, the restaurant was supported by the majority of commenters.

Jackie Knell said: “Go to the police with the photographs. They will more than likely know who they are.”

Debbie Rutherford wrote: “Despicable behaviour! It makes me SO angry when people assume you can afford it when you own a business!”

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