A restaurant worker has been fired after claims that they 'stole £200 from a customer's purse'. Following the alleged incident a group of customers have vowed to never return to the buffet, reports Wales Online.
The alleged theft occurred last month in Wales, when a customer says that they visited Nines Global Buffet with two friends. The customer added that upon arrival and being seated, that the group went up to the counter to choose their food.
However, he claims that when they returned to their table their belongings were moved - including a purse which had been put in a coat sleeve for safekeeping. The customer says he then went to ask staff and management where their belongings were and alleges to have waited 20 minutes to have their items returned to them.
The customer claims that when their items were eventually found and returned that £200 "Christmas money" had been removed from a purse. Following the alleged incident on December 28 2022 the customers informed police.
Management at the restaurant has since confirmed it was a member of staff that stole the cash from the customer's purse and that the employee had subsequently been dismissed. In a statement, Nines Global Buffet said: "Yes, it was a very unusual incident and all the staff felt shocked when we found out how it had happened.
"The restaurant manager was off on December 28. The incident was immediately reported to the police.
"The manager returned and investigated in the early morning on [December] the 29[th]. A member of staff was caught by the CCTV cameras.
"The company updated the police and dismissed the staff immediately in writing. The money was handed to the police.
"And the manager apologised to the customer. The company had a meeting to raise the awareness of the management.
"We feel apologetic for what the customer has experienced in the restaurant. This is definitely nothing we would ever expect to see.
"We have had something in place to better safeguard the customers and to make sure it will never happen again in our business."
One of the customers explained the alleged incident from their viewpoint on the evening in question. They said: "We visited [on December 28] around 7.30pm.
"We were greeted by staff as we entered and then went down to the buffet. My partner and my best friend went up to get food, I went to get the drinks.
"I came back and put the drinks on the table then joined them in getting food. We sat down, ate a small plate of food then went back up to get some fruit and realised my best friend's coat had been moved and inside her coat she had put her purse so it was hidden.
"We instantly got up and reacted to the situation and was asking staff where and who had moved our belongings and we kept being told 'the man took it'. We kept asking 'what man?
"Was it a random man or was it a member of staff?' They [staff] confirmed it was a member of staff but [they said] they didn't know where he had put our belongings.
"We became very confused and annoyed and wanted to know where our stuff had gone. Another member of staff came in with the coat and purse, we instantly checked the purse as the staff were very suspicious, and found all the money my friend had for Christmas had been stolen.
"Over £200 in cash had been taken from her purse. All we wanted was them to find the money and contact the gentleman who had moved our belongings - we went on to discuss CCTV [and] the manager continued to tell me she couldn't get into the CCTV and that we needed to phone the police.
"We sat in the entrance to the restaurant and called the police immediately regarding the situation. It was a silly mistake leaving our belongings on the table, but I've been to so many other restaurants and have never had this problem when leaving belongings.
"To say I will never return and am so annoyed is an understatement."
WalesOnline reports that the stolen money has now been returned to the customers. A statement from South Wales Police explained: "In this case, the matter has been dealt with by means of Restorative Justice.
"The victim has had the stolen cash returned. The employer has dealt with the culprit who has also been spoken to by officers.
"All parties are satisfied with the conclusion."
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