Angela and Ian McKie, from Liverpool, were accused of loudly complaining about their meals and refusing to pay at a number of establishments while holidaying on the Greek holiday island of Crete
A British couple has denied walking out of three restaurants in Greece without paying after claiming there were issues with their food.
Angela and Ian McKie, from Liverpool, were accused of loudly complaining about their meals and refusing to pay at a number of establishments while holidaying on the Greek holiday island of Crete. The pair are said to have left establishments on three different nights in the village of Koutouloufari in the island’s north.
However, Mr McKie has said it happened only once after they were served some poorly cooked chicken and chips and charged €12 for the pleasure. The restaurant manager then threatened them with jail, so they coughed up the coin and left, Mr McKie claims.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Mr McKie added: “What we are being accused of is simply not true. It is a little village with one road of shops, bars and tavernas. It would be impossible to leave one restaurant without paying, never mind three because everyone knows each other.”
The electrician said that the pair were returning home the following day and that Greek authorities would have prevented them leaving the country due to the unpaid meal. Ms McKie said that when the restaurant manager mentioned the police, she started to panic, so they paid the bill in full, which equated to €52, despite being unhappy with the quality of the food.
She added that they were not trying to avoid the entire bill, just the €12 for the chicken meal. The 54-year-old catering assistant said the couple are “honest people” and have been left stressed after being branded thieves. She said that as they left, the manager grabbed her by the arm and demanded she paid.
When asked about the other restaurants, she said she has no idea why they are claiming they walked out without paying, adding that if they had done so, that they should have contacted local cops. The couple, who have two adult children, a daughter aged 27 and a 23-year-old son, have been visiting Crete for 35 years. Ms McKie added that she thinks the “people are lovely”, but has been receiving hateful messages on social media from locals telling them never to return.
A member of staff at the Ariadni Apartments restaurant triggered the outrage after posting their pictures on Facebook. The post read: “Keep an eye on this couple. After finishing their meal, they refuse to pay the bill. We are third restaurant so far where they have tried this tactic. It’s good restaurant owners in the village communicate with each other so we know what to expect.”
Source: Mirror News
