A Suffolk nightclub has been "named and shamed" for failing to pay one member of staff minimum wage.

Maltings Entertainment Limited — which trades as Carbon Nightclub and The Mill Bar and Grill Restaurant — in Stowmarket was listed by the government as having failed to pay failed to pay one employee £1,263.44.

But a spokesman for the business denied this, saying "there was a lot more to it than that".

Ministers said 139 companies have short-changed their employees and have been fined.

Offending firms failed to pay £6.7 million to their workers, in a “completely unacceptable breach of employment law”, said the Business Department.

Major names on the list include Tesco, Pizza Hut and Superdrug.

The 139 named companies were investigated between 2016 and 2018 and found to have failed to pay £6.7 million to over 95,000 workers.

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

Business minister Paul Scully said: "Paying the minimum wage is not optional, it is the law. It is never acceptable for any employer to short-change their workers, but it is especially disappointing to see huge household names who absolutely should know better on this list.

"This should serve as a wake-up call to named employers and a reminder to everyone of the importance of paying workers what they are legally entitled to.

"Make no mistake, those who fail to follow minimum wage rules will be caught out and made to pay up."

Bryan Sanderson, chairman of the Low Pay Commission, said: "There can be no excuses for non-compliance with the minimum wage rates. The annual changes are well publicised 6 months in advance following a well understood process.

"Those affected are among the most needy and vulnerable in our country - the companies concerned should be deeply ashamed of their performance."