CCTV shows moment couple allegedly use handbag trick to walk off from restaurant without paying £80 bill

CCTV shows the moment a couple allegedly walked off from a restaurant without paying their £80 bill - using a handbag trick.

The footage shows the man and woman outside smoking a cigarette before leaving separately on October 20.

According to the restaurant, La Dolce Vita in East Kilbride, Scotland, the couple had racked up a £80 tab - including two starters, three mains and two desserts. They allegedly “nipped out for a cigarette" and ran off without paying.

The handbag left at La Dolce Vita in East Kilbride. | La Dolce Vita / SWNS

Restaurant bosses said the woman left a handbag in an attempt to trick staff into thinking they would be coming back. They say the black bag was left ditched in their booth, with staff later discovering that it was completely empty.

Police Scotland said: “Around 5.45pm on Sunday, October 20, police received a report of a theft from a premises in the Main Street area of East Kilbride. Enquiries into the circumstances are at an early stage”.