A man caught on CCTV allegedly ‘doing a runner’ from a gastropub after racking up a £215 bill has been identified as living on a caravan site and runs a paving firm, MailOnline can reveal.
Edward O’Reilly is believed to have enjoyed a long Sunday lunch with his family at The Fisherman’s Arms in Newlyn, near Penzance, before leaving without paying and claiming he was going outside for a cigarette.
Mr O’Reilly, 23, who is known as Ned, was allegedly part of a group of six who polished off a slap up meal and cocktails before skipping out on the bill.
He is the managing director of a company called Kings Landscaping and he lives in a static caravan on a traveller site next to the A38 in Plympton, Devon.
A number of people came forward identify Mr O’Reilly as being in the footage, although the businessman is believed to deny that he was at the pub on Sunday and insists that it’s not him on CCTV.
There was no answer when MailOnline visited his home the site and phone numbers on his company’s website appear to be disconnected.
Edward O’Reilly (pictured left) was allegedly seen on CCTV footage (right) leaving The Fishermans Arms in Newlyn, near Penzance, on Sunday without paying
The Fisherman’s Arms posted CCTV footage and grabs on social media calling out the family who stayed for about three hours, had three courses and drank cocktails before walking out
Following the dine and dash the pub’s manager posted CCTV footage on Twitter which went viral – since then she has received a number of calls from people to identify him.
She has since passed his name onto Devon and Cornwall police which is investigating the alleged incident.
The group of six – two men, two women and two children – are said to have arrived at the pub around 5pm on Sunday and stayed for three hours during which time they downed four Bailey’s White Russians and Two Cosmopolitan cocktails as well as a cider, three pints of coca cola and three starters, six main courses and two desserts to rack up the mammoth bill.
The pub manager – who gave her name as Lucy – said: ‘They weren’t the most talkative to the staff.
‘The boys came up to the bar and asked for the bill and while they were asking for the bill the girls left without the door without anybody seeing.
‘They said the girls were in the toilet and would pay while they went for a cigarette. We didn’t realise the girls were already gone and the guys just went as well.
‘I’ve had lots of people get in touch since to tell me Edward’s name. Many of them are people who know him or have had dealings with him in the past.
‘I have worked in the industry 14 years and this is the first time it’s happened to me, we have had people accidentally not pay and they always ring back and make it right.
‘They didn’t book so we didn’t have a name or a number.’
The pub put out an appeal on Twitter to try and identify the family who did a runner after lunch
Mr O’Reilly (pictured) was allegedly part of a group of six who polished off a slap up meal and cocktails before skipping out on the bill
And a Plymouth resident who hired Kings Landscaping to work on his drive instantly recognised Edward from the CCTV pictures. He said: ‘I remember him well. He tarmacked my drive.
Devon and Cornwall Police told MailOnline: ‘Police are aware of an incident where it is alleged that a group of people left The Fisherman’s Arms in Newlyn without paying their bill, late afternoon on Sunday 18 June. Enquiries continue into this matter.
‘Anyone with any information that could assist the police is asked to contact 101 quoting case reference 50230172827.’
