Elderly Brit, 77, arrested for allegedly refusing to pay £10,000 bill at Ibiza restaurant

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(Image: SOLARPIX.COM)
(Image: SOLARPIX.COM)

A British man, 77, was arrested in Ibiza after refusing to pay a huge restaurant bill. The man was dining with five other women, who were also arrested by police

A British pensioner has been arrested after allegedly refusing to pay a massive restaurant bill in Ibiza of over £10,000.

The man, 77, was held along with women who accompanied him at the table. The group, all of the women under the age of 40, are alleged to have attempted to avoid paying the bill by saying a seventh person had not shown up. The group claimed the person had invited them to dinner, but left them to pay the bill.

The British man was accompanied by two Polish women, a Greek woman and two Argentinian women. The restaurant has not been named.

A spokesman for Spain’s National Police, which released pictures of the group including the Brit in a matching Hawaiian-style top and shorts, said today: “Officers in Ibiza have arrested six people, a British man aged 77 and five women aged 24 to 39, two Argentinians, one Greek national and two Polish ladies, as the suspected authors of a crime of fraud for refusing to pay for dinner in a restaurant on the island.

"The group dined out, consuming high-value meals and drinks, before refusing to pay the bill which came to nearly £10,500. Restaurant staff called the police who questioned the employees when they arrived.

“They told the officers the customers had alluded to a supposed invitation by a seventh person who according to the individuals had left ten minutes earlier and had reserved the table for them and also invited them to dinner. 

“They continued to refuse to pay without offering any alternative explanation to their alleged pretend excuse to evade their responsibility. That led to their arrests.”

All six are understood to have already appeared before a judge, although it was not clear today what the outcome of the court appearance was. They were arrested in the early hours of Thursday. 

In an unrelated incident in March, six diners who refused to pay their £300 pub bill were marched back by police to settle up. The group had dined out at the Black Bull in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, before being seen sneaking out without paying. But after being escorted back to the pub to pay their debt, the brazen bunch claimed they didn’t enjoy their meal and even complained about their table.

Restaurant owner Janie Seaton described the party’s attitude as disturbing and even misogynistic. Staff had already removed their mains from the tab after they complained before a stand-off broke out when they refused to pay the remaining £300.

"[Police] stayed until the payment was made to make sure there was no more trouble." Janie, who has run the Black Bull since 2018, said such incidents were sadly not unusual.

David Wilson

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