A PUB in Co. Kildare has released CCTV footage showing a scammer putting glass in her mouth and pretending to choke on it.
The video - recorded at Judge Roy Beans in Newbridge on June 22 - shows the customer take something from under her top, place it in her mouth and feign choking in front of horrified bar staff.
According to pub owner Vivian Carroll, the woman she had accidentally eaten shards of glass that were in her meal.
Mr Carroll said that the footage captured "typical" behaviour that she and other publicans encounter "on a weekly basis".
He added: "It’s clear from the footage that after hiding glass in her clothes this person then deliberately places it in her mouth.
"She told a member of staff the glass was in her food, which was obviously not the case.
"We checked the CCTV footage and told her the entire incident had been recorded. The Gardaí were called, they took her details and she left. But if it wasn’t for security cameras I could possibly have faced a massive claim."
The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) - which represents Mr Carroll and over 4,000 other publicans - said the footage highlights the threat posted to the hospitality industry in Ireland by false compensation claims.
VFI chief executive Pádraig Cribben said: "The so-called 'compo culture' stems from the fact that people think they can get away with making outrageous insurance claims, a belief supported and encouraged by some within the legal sector and facilitated by insurers settling dubious claims.
"The public needs to understand that false and exaggerated claims force businesses to close and staff to lose their jobs."
Peter Boland, Director of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, said that rising insurance costs as a result of such incidents are "pervasive" in the industry.
He added: "This footage is a timely reminder of the type of personal injury incidents experienced by organisations all over Ireland and the crippling insurance costs they cause.
"[Compensation scams] threaten the ability of small businesses, charities, voluntary groups, sports and arts organisations and festivals to function or survive."
