Norfolk companies which paid workers less than minimum wage

A list compiled by HMRC identified all UK employers who failed to pay their staff the national minimum wage, which is currently £10.42 an hour, with eight Norfolk firms featuring. 

The worst offender was horse riding school Burnham Market Eventing Centre, based at Sussex Farm near Burnham Market, which underpaid eight members of staff by a total of 18,310 between May 2015 and July 2019.

The company - which is listed as permanently closed on Google but remains active on Companies House - has since paid the money owed to the worker.

It was also fined a penalty charge of £36,620 by HMRC, according to a government spokesman.

The firm's former director has been approached for comment. 

Also named on the list was Swaffham Hand Car Wash, trading as Blue Star Car Wash, which underpaid five workers a total of £2,872 in June 2019, and JD Garage and Performance Centre, based in Kings Lynn, which owed £1,124 to one person in May 2019.

The business owner said: "Six years prior, in an effort to support a young entrepreneur's ambition for a better life, we made the decision to accommodate his preference for self-employment, a choice we now reflect upon with mixed feelings.

"However, our goodwill gesture of providing him with a branded hoodie was interpreted by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as an indication that he should have been considered an employee, due to their classification of the hoodie as a uniform.

"This experience serves as a cautionary tale and a learning opportunity for us and potentially for others in similar situations."

READ MORE: Minimum wage to rise to £11.44 in April next year

Norwich-based law firm, Heritage Wills, was also included on the list for owing £514 each to five employees in 2018.

Managing director Stuart Burrell said: “We can confirm that a small group of employees were underpaid due to a clerical error. 

“However, we want to clarify that we took immediate action to rectify the mistake as soon as we became aware of it. 

“We take full responsibility for the error and have done everything we can to ensure that it can never happen again.”

Clarence lodge in Great Yarmouth owed £916 to one person (Image: Newsquest)

Clarence Lodge, a care home in Great Yarmouth which closed five years ago following its fifth inadequate rating by the CQC, owed one employee £916 in 2017.

The wedding venue Elm Farm Country House, in Horsham St Faith, owed £767 to one person in 2018.

The companies have been contacted for comment.