HMRC have named and shamed businesses who failed to pay their employees the national minimum wage.

Four businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk failed to pay their employees the minimum wage between the period of September 2016 and July 2018.

This is the first time the government has named and shamed companies for failing to pay National Minimum Wage since 2018, following reforms to the process to ensure only the worst offenders are targeted.

Eastern Daily Press: The Golden Fleece in Wells-next-the-Sea is one of the businesses listed.The Golden Fleece in Wells-next-the-Sea is one of the businesses listed. (Image: Google Maps)

The worst offender is the Golden Fleece pub in Wells-next-the-Sea, which failed to pay £8,149.69 to 14 members of staff.

Kingsland Engineering Company, based in Sheringham, failed to pay £1,331.79 to four workers and Eddie's Diner, based in Great Yarmouth, failed to pay three members of staff £670.13.

Eastern Daily Press: Eddie's Diner in Great Yarmouth.Eddie's Diner in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Google Maps)

Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage have to pay back arrears of wages to the worker at current minimum wage rates.

They also face hefty financial penalties of up to 200% of arrears - capped at £10,000 per worker - which are paid to the government. Each of the companies named today have paid back their workers, and were forced to pay financial penalties.

While not all breaches of minimum wage rules are intentional, it is the responsibility of all employers to ensure they are following the law.

This is the case with one employee who used to work for Carbon Nightclub and the Mill Bar and Grill Restaurant in Stowmarket.

The employee was not paid £1,263.41.

Manager of the business Robert Perry said: "This individual employee was salaried to work for 40 hours a week but he claimed money to work for 60 hours.

"This was because he could not drive so he used to hang around the club until it closed claiming he had been working.

"The employee was therefore being overpaid in the first instance which explains why he was not paid the £1,263.41."

The Golden Fleece pub in Wells-next-the-Sea, Kingsland Engineering Company in Sheringham and Eddie's Diner in Great Yarmouth have all been contacted for comment regarding not paying a number of employees the minimum wage.

The full list across the UK can be accessed from the government website here.