Diner failed to pay at three top city restaurants

A SNEAKY diner made off from three restaurants within four days without footing bills worth a total of £500.

- SARA NICHOL

Lauren Halliday had gone for expensive meals with her boyfriend at Victors, Hula and Lui's, all in Newcastle city centre, but came up with a variety of pretexts to avoid paying the bills.

The 33-year-old either went for a cigarette and did not return or pretended there was a problem with her banking app and failed to come back to settle up after promising to, a court was told.

CCTV footage was passed to the police and Halliday, who has previous convictions for similar offending, and her then partner were identified.