Footage of the group - who had paid in full - was shared online.
A pub has apologised to a group of diners wrongly accused and publicly shamed for not paying for their £150 meal.
The Horse and Jokey in Tideswell, Derbyshire, posted CCTV footage on Facebook of a two men and two women they believed ate four steaks and several beers, then left without sorting the bill.
However, it has since emerged that the group did pay for their meal in full but a member of staff forgot to ring the transaction through the till.
This employee has now been sacked, the pub said.
Before the error had come to light, online posters called the customers out for their ‘shocking behaviour’.
The pub had not blurred their faces out in the CCTV footage, so they were easily identifiable.
Horse and Jockey manager Sam Watson told the MailOnline the pub wanted to ‘sincerely apologise’ to the diners.
He explained: ‘One member of staff took the group’s order and a second member of staff took payment, however he did not run the payment through the till system.
‘It meant that it looked as though they had left without paying when they had.
‘There was no dishonesty involved from our staff, it was an honest mistake but we have dismissed the member of staff responsible for the error.
‘The people involved have been in touch with the pub. I’m yet to speak to them but when I do I will apologise for our mistake.’
The customers had eaten two £27 10oz ribeye steaks and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washing it all down with a number of real ales and lagers.
The Metro has contacted the pub for comment.
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