THE wife of a diner who saved a fellow customer's life when she collapsed has criticised the "mean spirited" restaurant where it happened.

Paul Harry was enjoying a night out with his family at the Victorian restaurant, Bexleyheath Broadway, when another customer collapsed and began vomiting.

Mr Harry jumped to his feet and ran to the woman's aid clearing the vomit from her airwaves and putting her in the recovery position.

As shocked diners and staff looked on, the businessman who was celebrating his 36th birthday helped the woman with her breathing.

After instructing staff to call an ambulance, Mr Harry waited in the street to make sure the paramedics did not get lost.

And when he shepherded them to the stricken woman they paid tribute to him, saying he had done exactly the right thing.

As the medics treated the woman, Mr Harry ordered a glass of brandy for her shocked and shaken husband and a mineral water for himself.

The couple were taken by ambulance to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, leaving Mr Harry to continue with his birthday meal.

But his wife Fiona, 35, says they were left with a bitter taste in their mouths when staff quibbled with them over a restaurant-imposed £12 service charge saying the couple had underpaid by £2.

She says they were further angered by the staff's failure to clean up the vomit and their insistence Mr Harry pay for the brandy and mineral water.

Mrs Harry said: "I thought bloody hell', my husband has just saved a woman on your premises and you're saying the bill is short.

"I could not believe they charged us for the brandy and we were charged for the service which quite honestly was non-existent for the woman."

Mrs Harry says the restaurant staff did nothing to help as her husband went to the woman's aid.

She says they did not move the tables out of the way and were slow in calling an ambulance.

Coffee shop owner Mrs Harry was expecting to be moved to another table with her two children and her parents so they did not have to eat dessert next to a table covered in vomit.

But this did not happen either and the family, of Keston Gardens, Keston, left once the blonde-haired woman, who they believe is called Shirley, was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Restaurant manager Bulent Eker contradicts the Harrys' version of events saying staff moved tables as he personally called the paramedics.

Although the vomit was not immediately cleaned up, staff did place napkins over it. After the Harrys left, other diners were seated well away from the area.

The mineral water and the brandy were on the house but neither Mr Harry nor the person putting the bill together were informed of this.

And when the Harrys showed disapproval at being informed they had not paid the full amount, Mr Eker told them "not to worry about it".

He said: "We totally disagree with Mrs Harry in almost all the points which were mentioned regarding the incident."

Mrs Harry wants to hear from the woman to see if she is okay. Call the News Shopper on 01689 885725.