They never received the backlash they deserved for doing that. It will have been said a thousand times, but replace them with Courtney from the estate who left her kids whilst she went and had a meal, the outcome from the media would have been completely different. She would have been vilified and the stereotypes flung at her.
As it is though it was two supposed middle class (bollocks) professionals from a nice part of the country who had a nice, civilised meal with their chums. That has fucked ne off from day one.