Two women who 'sprinted' from The Smithy Arms in Swinton without paying have come forward, stating it was because of a 'personal emergency'.
Women who went viral after 'sprinting' from Harrogate district pub without paying come forward Two women who were seen ‘sprinting’ away from a gastropub in the Harrogate district have come forward after the CCTV footage went viral. The couple, who have been identified as Ruby McGrath, 32, and Suzy Hopley, 33, left with their children without paying their £56 meal at the Smithy Arms in Swinton. The CCTV footage of the incident was posted by Smithy Arms landlady Lisa McMaster, along with the caption “How nice of you to come for a meal and drinks and run without paying. Staying on a campsite near.” The family were seen slipping away before getting into their distinctive white car with a pink roof and disappearing from sight. The post has since been deleted. [caption id="attachment_74612" align="alignnone" width="1024"] CCTV footage was shared on social media in a bid to track the two women down.[/caption] But since the event, the pair have come forward to defend their actions, stating it was because of a “personal emergency” and have reassured people that their bill is now settled. Ms McGrath has said the incident has been “blown out of proportion” and said she has received both homophobic and body-shaming abuse. She wrote on Instagram:
“Usually I'd ignore ridiculous online hate, but this also involves my children so I'm just popping on to say that last night we had a delicious meal and experienced brilliant service at The Smithy Arms in Swinton, but sadly our visit was cut short and we had to dash - poor Frank didn't even get to have his ice cream - due to a personal emergency. “Our plan was to call the pub asap to let them know the situation and then hurry back to sort the bill. “As we were camping, we realised once we got back that we had zero reception and had to wait until this morning to contact the pub and clear the bill!"Ms McGrath added:
“Long story short, all is well, the bill and generous tip have been paid. There are no hard feelings between myself and the lovely people at The Smithy Arms, yet the internet has gone nuts. “A misunderstanding that got enormously blown out of proportion, followed by a homophobic and body-shaming witch hunt. Beware the power of social media.”Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.
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