PENNE PINCHERS

Restaurant owners sickened’ as pair use handbag trick to dodge bill

- RYAN THOM

A RESTAURANT boss has been left "sickened" after a couple used a handbag trick to skip paying for their meal.

The team at La Dolce Vita in East Kilbride have shared CCTV footage of the dine-and-dash pair.

The slippery couple racked up a £68 tab at the Italian eatery, stuffing themselves with two starters and three mains, before "nipping out for a cigarette" and running off without paying.

The restaurant has launched a hunt for the shameless duo who fleeced their family-run business on Sunday.

In images from the Main Street diner CCTV, the pair are calmly stood outside smoking a cigarette before walking off separately.

Bosses have revealed how the woman left a handbag in an attempt to trick staff into thinking they would return.