The most outrageous 'dine and dashes' revealed

A group of Italians who tried to 'dine and dash' in Pamplona in Spain have been caught by police and ordered to settle their bill.

The tourists, who were in town during the annual running of the bulls, ordered 14 house specials and a salmon dish, as well as 15 shots of the local chupito spirit, running up a bill of €620 (£549).

But instead of paying up, the group ran.

However, according to local police, they were soon caught and ordered to pay up - which they did, giving a tip.

Dine and dash is an increasing problem for restaurants - and there have been some outrageous examples over the last couple of years.

The huge party
Earlier this year, no fewer than 120 people bolted from a restaurant in Spain after getting through £1,600 worth of food during a christening party. But this was only the start, as just days later the same group pulled the same trick, this time running up an even bigger bill. The ringleader was caught soon afterwards.

The 'battle with God'
Adrian Lewis was jailed earlier this year after running out on the bill at restaurants in Liverpool, Nottingham, Blackpool and Scotland. He explained that he was 'in a battle with God and Jesus' and that getting arrested was the only way to get his story out.

See also: Man releases pet rat in restaurant to dodge the bill

See also: Couple skip out on £150 restaurant bill

The smart suit
Homeless man Eric Austin would change into a smart tailored suit before visiting some of Oxford's smartest restaurants. Apparently this, plus his educated accent, meant he didn't arouse suspicion, so that he was able to run up bills of up to £200.

The American swimmer...
Earlier this month, police were called to a restaurant in Virginia Beach in the US after Wesley Jones tried to skip his bill. After running up a $50 tab, he left the fish restaurant - and jumped into a lake to escape. He was spotted by a police helicopter, and officers on bicycles found him at the other side of the lake.

...and the Australian one
In April, a man ran up a £375 bill at a sea-front restaurant and then dived into the ocean without paying the bill. He was caught by authorities on jet-skis after trying to hide underwater.

The biter
Last month, a 48-year-old woman was arrested in Adelaide, Australia after running from a restaurant without paying. But when a waiter chased and caught her, the woman bit him so hard he needed stitches - perhaps she hadn't had enough to eat.