Making off without payment is a statutory offence in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It was first introduced on the recommendation of the Criminal Law Revision Committee and is intended to protect legitimate business concerns and applies where goods are supplied or a service is performed on the basis that payment will be made there and then. Examples are a "dine and dash" customer in a restaurant where the meal is supplied on the understanding that the bill will be paid before the diner leaves; a taxi passenger who runs off without paying the fare at the end of the journey; and a motorist who fills up with petrol at a garage and drives off when the attendant is distracted. For these purposes, it must be proved that the defendant knew that payment on the spo