A COUPLE suspected of being serial "dine and dashers" across a seaside resort have been arrested.
Essex Police have confirmed two people were detained after officers attended an address in Great Wakering, near Southend, on Thursday.
Both were taken into custody and questioned on suspicion of three counts of making off without payment.
They were subsequently released on conditional bail until late July.
As part of their bail conditions, they are not permitted to attend any licenced premises in which food is served where that food cannot be purchased before consumption.
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The arrested couple are believed to be a pair previously named locally as former solicitor Kerry Ann Stevens, 38, and electrician boyfriend Daniel Alani, 39.
HUNDREDS OF POUNDS GONE
Local businesses across Southend have been fleeced out of hundreds of pounds by a couple in recent months.
The Pearl Dragon restaurant, in Eastern Esplanade, and the Castle Inn pub, in Little Wakering, reported it had fallen victim to a couple attempting to flee without paying.
More than 10 taxi drivers in the area have also claimed they had fallen prey a couple who have fled their cabs before paying their fares.
On April 23, Ken Todd, 76, the landlord of the Castle Inn, spoke out and told how his loyal customers stopped a man and woman from leaving his pub before police arrived.
He said the man and woman tried to flee without paying their £62.20 bill in the incident on April 21 and it was a "stressful situation".
The pub landlord added: "It was difficult to deal with both at the time and afterwards but we'll carry on."
The Castle Inn called the police who arrived and took the couple's details but were ultimately free to leave because the landlord deemed it "not worth pursuing for £60".
Sergeant Carly Boitoult, of the Southend Town Centre Team, said: "The hospitality sector in Southend and in the surrounding area is incredibly important to the city's overall offer to its residents and visitors and we will always do all we can to help them if they report a crime to us."