AN Indian restaurant and hairdressing salon are among more than 90 employers who owed workers over £1.8 million by failing to pay the national minimum wage.

The companies which have been "named and shamed" by the UK Government are in sectors including social care and hospitality, with 10 Scottish employers owing more than £3,500 in total to workers.

Most of the total owed across the UK came from Total Security Services of London who had failed to pay out £1.7m - the biggest single amount discovered since the government started naming companies in 2013.

The worst offender in Scotland was Indian restaurant Khushi's in Edinburgh which failed to pay £564.00 to an employee. Other business including Pizza Hut and Charlie Miller hairdressing in Edinburgh, The Fresh Food company in Glasgow, Broch tandoori in Fraserburgh and Elizabeth House care home in Kirkcaldy were also named.

Business Minister Nick Boles said: "There is no excuse for not paying staff the wages they're entitled to.

"Our policy of naming and shaming employers who ignore the law means there are consequences for their reputation as well as their wallets.

"In April we will introduce a new National Living Wage which will mean a pay rise of over £900 a year for someone working full time on the minimum wage and we will enforce this equally robustly."

Almost 500 firms have now been publicly named by the Government, with total arrears of over £3m and total penalties of £1.1m.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Ministers are right to name and shame these companies. Today's list contains many well-known household names and the level of underpayment in some cases is truly eye-watering.

"Now is not the time for complacency, however. We know that thousands more rogue employers are cheating their staff and getting away with it. It is essential that HMRC catches up with them too.

"Bosses who try to duck the minimum wage must have nowhere to hide. Strong unions are needed in every workplace to stop these abuses from happening."