A CHARITY which cares for vulnerable people and a former top-flight football team are among more than a dozen firms that have been named and shamed for failing pay workers the national minimum wage in Scotland.

Social care firm Crossroads Caring Scotland was the worst offender north of the border to be featured on a new list released by the UK Government, with figures revealing it failed to pay a total of £17,685 to 40 staff.

Championship division strugglers St Mirren FC also made the list, having failed to pay one worker £1,277.

Hospitality, retail, and hairdressing companies featured heavily among those underpaying staff, with Peacock Stores in Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway, the second worst in Scotland, owing 42 workers £2,256, and John Preston of Sculpture hairdressing in Glasgow owing a single staff member £1,537.

In total, the 16 firms north of the border owed 125 workers a total of £29,611.

The UK Government's naming and shaming scheme was introduced in October 2013 and since then hundreds of employers have been publicly named, with arrears totalling more than £3.5 million.

Across the UK, more than 350 companies were named for failing to pay minimum rates and excuses given included using tips to top up pay, docking workers' wages to pay for their Christmas party and making staff pay for their own uniforms out of their salary.

The national minimum hourly rate ranges from £3.40 for apprentices and £4 for under 18s to £7.20 for people aged 25 and over.

Scotland Office Minister Lord Dunlop said: "There are simply no excuses for employers who fail to play by the rules and pay employees what they are entitled to.

"We are committed to building an economy that works for everyone and will ensure that everybody receives the national living wage."

Business Minister Margot James added: “Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and this government will ensure they get it.

“That is why we have named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished.”

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy today named 360 British businesses who underpaid 15,520 workers a total of £995,233 in its latest list.

Previous Scottish firms which have fallen afoul of the scheme include Stefan King's G1 Group, who were revealed to have neglected to pay national minimum wage totalling £45,124 to 2895 employees in 2015.

Macdonald Hotels, who run 13 hotels in Scotland and 29 elsewhere, have also been named in the past as have Fisher & Donaldson, who sell high-end bakery products at their stores in St Andrews, Cupar and Dundee.

A spokeswoman for Crossroads Caring Scotland said: "The incident referred to occurred more than 16 months ago and was the results of an oversight relating to travel time. 40 of our more than 650 staff were affected.

"As soon as the breach was identified, we worked closely with HMRC to ensure that our workers received the full back pay that they were entitled to and also to ensure our compliance with this complex legislation in the future."

No-one was available to comment at St Mirren FC.