the moral of the story, as tan ah teck would put it, is...

..if you are going to do a runner from a restaurant, make sure you aren't on Facebook, or at least don't let it be known...well and truly shafted!

Dodgy diners at Seagrass in Melbourne Facebooked

MELBOURNE restaurateur Peter Leary has used Facebook to track down bill dodgers in his up-market establishment, Seagrass.

The drama unfolded last week when a group of five young diners, after drinking at the bar, requested a table at the Southbank restaurant. Over dinner, they worked their way expertly through the menu, ordered and drank fine wines and, after ordering dessert, slipped out "for a smoke". They kept going.

Leary was left with an unpaid bill for about $520, and little hope of recovering his money.

read more how the savvy fella tracked down the culprits HERE.