Unpalatable

As if the restaurant industry didn't have enough challenges to deal with already, the apparent rise of "dine and dash" is yet another.

The phenomenon is not just a merely irritating habit of diners, of the sort bemoaned here. On the contrary - as Kate Nicholls of UKHospitality argues, it's an act of "betrayal" and a case of criminally fraudulent behaviour.

Some will connect it to the rising cost of living - but that doesn't wash, as we're talking about people shirking bills of hundreds of pounds rather than hard-up parents shoplifting nappies and baby formula out of desperation. It's an extreme manifestation of the entitled attitude that appears to be polluting relations between service industries and the public.

And, of course, as Nicholls notes, dine and dash is "not a victimless crime". It's the businesses - already operating on very tight margins - and their low-paid serving staff who end up paying the price. Not only do they lose out financially, but they also experience an inevitable erosion of trust that one restaurateur understandably describes as "demoralising". Hardly ideal when morale is already fragile.