This is the extraordinary moment it is claimed a female diner removed a piece of plastic she had hidden in her bra and placed it in her food before refusing to pay her £170 bill.
CCTV footage shows the woman appearing to tear the wrapper from a pack of cigarettes she had kept in her underwear before placing it in a bowl of chicken curry.
Restaurant owner Naseem Khan, 44, said the family of five had knocked over their food at her popular curry house Namji in Milton Keynes on Monday afternoon.
But when the bill came they made threats before storming out as they complained about the ‘plastic’ in their food – despite being offered a 20 per cent discount.
Police have since confirmed they are investigating an allegation of theft against the family.
Ms Khan, known locally at the ‘Queen of Curry’ after feeding 150 families for free last Christmas, said she would not have charged diners for the meals if she knew they could not afford them.
CCTV footage shows the woman appearing to reach into her bra for a pack of cigarettes as she looks around
She then appears to tear the wrapper from the pack of cigarettes she had kept in her underwear before placing it in a bowl of chicken curry
Mrs Khan said: ‘You can tell this is someone who is not happy with the food, but they knocked the food down and there was nothing left at the end – they ate everything.
‘Doing this in front of children is not acceptable in this society. If she was struggling with money, she could have come to me and I would have fed her for free. But she didn’t.’
Ms Khan, who owns two restaurants in the town, said the family arrived at the restaurant – located in Xscape shopping center – at around 3.30pm on Monday.
They ordered four starters, seven side plates, four drinks and six mains – including two Tandoor lamb chops – and ended up with a bill of £170.45.
But she said the family started complaining about their food shortly after they were seated before the alleged incident took place.
Mrs Khan continued: ‘This couple started complaining about the starters at first but they ate them all. And when the main course came out, they ate it all again.
Later, the woman called the waiter and said there was plastic in her food. The waiter said, “We don’t have this plastic in our kitchen, but I have the authority to give you a 20 percent discount and not charge you for the dish.”
Restaurant owner Naseem Khan, 44, is known as the ‘Queen of Curry’ after delivering free meals to the homeless during the pandemic
The family of five ordered four starters, seven side plates, four drinks and six mains before refusing to pay their bill
‘The woman’s husband then got up and said, “I’m not going to pay,” and the waiter said, “Okay, do what you have to do” and left.
Waiters at the restaurant have been given ‘clear instructions’ not to confront any customer after problems with ‘very aggressive and abusive’ diners in the past.
Ms Khan said she realized what had happened after reviewing footage on her security cameras.
She said: ‘We went on CCTV to investigate how things could have gone better. That’s when we discovered she was removing the plastic from her bra.
‘It was from a pack of cigarettes. She broke off a piece and put the rest back in her bra, then put it in the curry and called the waiter.’
Mrs Khan gave away 250 meals for free every week during the pandemic to help homeless people across Milton Keynes, while taking part in several fundraising projects.
At the time, she said it was ‘my responsibility to help others and give to charity’.
But she has been angered by the family’s actions as she expressed concern that they have used the trick to avoid paying for food at other restaurants.
She has since complained to the police, adding that it is something she ‘would never expect or want to see’.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: ‘At around 8.30am today (11/10) we received a report of a theft at Namji restaurant in Xscape in Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes.
‘Officers are investigating and anyone with information should call 101 or make a report on our website.’