Pub loses more than £1k after customer leaves without paying

Helen Sutherland of the Westgate Inn in Winchester, Hants, pictured, explained that the man said he was interested in buying the freehold of her pub. He arrived on 27 February.

Sutherland said he claimed to have spoken to owner Marston’s and was waiting for his business partner. When the alleged conman, who goes by the name of Adrian Phillips, said he was going to the bank to arrange funding, he never returned.

“He expressed an interest in buying the freehold when he arrived,” she said.

“He was incredibly plausible. He said that he had spoken to the brewery about buying the freehold. We feel a bit sick that this has happened.”

Sutherland said that she took down the man’s credit card details, but they didn’t work when she tried to process the bill once he had left.

She noticed that the man said he owned the Steam Packet Inn in Totnes, Devon. However, this pub is owned by Buccaneer Holdings, and it turned out that the venue had also been targeted by a man using the same name.

Licensee Richard Cockburn, said that the man arrived at the venue on 19 February and stayed for three nights. He was left out of pocket by more than £600.

“We didn’t take a pre-authorisation of his credit card, but we have never experienced this kind of thing in this area. He said he was ex-military and meeting friends in the area, but they never turned up.”

Cockburn said that he did ask the man to settle his bill when it was nearing £600, but because this was on a very busy Saturday night, the man was able to leave without the staff noticing.

“We just feel a bit daft, but if we accused everyone who is extravagant with money, we’d upset a lot of people.”

Cockburn described the man as having short grey hair and crooked teeth, aged in his mid-50s and six feet tall.

The National Fraud Authority said that it is investigating the cases.

Have you witnessed something similar? Email thewvg.qrtha@jeoz.pbz​