• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Friday September 4 2026

Employers named over minimum wage breaches

Employers across the South West and Berkshire have been named in a Government minimum-wage enforcement round, which returned almost £4 million to workers nationally.

Around 660 employers have been named for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage, with more than £4m repaid to over 27,000 workers and £7m in penalties issued, the Government said.

It is the first naming round since the Fair Work Agency was established in April.

The largest local entry is Alan King Racing Limited, based in Swindon.

The racing business was found to have underpaid 24 workers by a total of £19,050.72 between April 2019 and September.

In Reading, The Retreat Pub Co Limited, trading as The Retreat, was named over £10,960.48 owed to two workers for the period from April 2021 to May 2023.

In West Berkshire, Adam Eve Hair 2014 Limited, trading as Adam and Eve Salon Tilehurst, owed £3,601.13 to one worker, while Newbury-based CSS Recycling Ltd owed £3,531.10 to four workers.

Bristol has three entries in the list.

SLA IT Solutions Limited, trading as Bristol Castlemead, owed £8,788.17 to two workers; eXPD8 Limited owed £6,374.37 to 294 workers; and Ashton Gate Limited owed £5,895.05 to 142 workers.

The three Bristol businesses collectively owed £21,057.59 to 438 workers.

Four Somerset employers also appear.

Monkton Elm Garden Centre Limited, in Taunton, owed £6,980.05 to one worker; Howard’s, run by Mr Andrew S Gibbs and Mrs Susan Gibbs, owed £4,658.99 to one worker; Auto-Mech Cheddar Ltd owed £2,583.75; and Yeovil-based Freshstores Limited owed £2,116.03 to 68 workers.

Wiltshire’s entries include Calne-based Blackland Lakes Limited, which owed £4,273.37 to one worker, and Salisbury-based Darren Macdonald Funeral Directors Limited, which owed £2,010.66 to one worker.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Short-changing your staff isn’t a shortcut to success and we are determined to stamp it out.”

The Government said employers should check payroll processes and seek advice from Acas where needed. It stressed that the Fair Work Agency will provide a single enforcement body for workplace rights, with plans to expand its remit to holiday and sick pay.

The entries concern historic arrears periods and record amounts repaid following enforcement action; being named does not by itself establish an employer’s current pay arrangements.

Image by Alaur Rahman at Pexels