Dine and dash arrest after man 'put hair on plate'

A man has been arrested on suspicion of theft after an alleged dine and dash incident at a restaurant in Staffordshire.

Officers said they were called to a venue on Station Road in Burton-upon-Trent on 16 February after two people ordered steaks and cocktails worth about £150 and then refused to pay.

They reportedly suggested hairs were in the food, Staffordshire Police added.

A 23-year-old man from Tamworth was arrested on Wednesday and has since been placed on conditional bail.

"We are determined to crack down 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," said Sgt Lee Parden.

Speaking to the BBC in February, manager of The Dial Jez Hives said he was shocked after CCTV footage appeared to show a customer pulling out his own hair and planting it on his food before refusing to pay.

He said two men went to the restaurant, ordered a £70 steak for two, which one of the men ate by himself, as well as a £40 fillet steak, sides and cocktails.

They ate part of their meals, and then approached staff and complained there was hair in the food, Hives added, and left the restaurant after refusing to pay.

"It is unbelievable that someone would go to that length to get free food," he said.

"There was clumps of hair within the dish, and upon inspection of the CCTV the next morning, I found out he'd been picking his own hair out of his head and seasoning his steak with it."

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