Companies have been named and shamed in a UK Government list for not paying the minimum wage to workers.

A total of 23 Scottish firms were highlighted in the new figures, including a nursery, nightclub, bakery, care services, hairdressers, construction firms and a chain of Papa John's Pizza.

The figures were revealed on Thursday in the biggest list of minimum wage offenders published by Westminster, with 198 firms across the UK publicly named.

The 23 Scottish companies owed a total of £44,565.06 in arrears to 87 workers who had not been paid properly.

Currently, the National Minimum Wage for those aged 21 or older is £6.70 an hour and the living wage for over 25s is set at £7.20 an hour.

The worst offender in Scotland was Bay Newsagents, in Weymss Bay, Renfrewshire, owned by Ronald McConnachie, who owed £12,527 to three workers.

Next in the league table was the Little Beehive Nursery in Fife, which owed £9065 to members of staff, followed by Glasgow recruitment agency Topstaff Employment, which owed £3355 to 20 of its staff.

A Papa John's outlet in Edinburgh owed £1811 to 19 workers and Fury Murry's nightclub in Paisley owed £216.14 to one of its staff.

Overall, the 198 companies named across the UK owed £466,219 in arrears. All of the money owed to the workers has been paid back to them.

Business minister Margot James said: "This government is determined to build an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

"That means making sure everyone gets paid the wages they are owed - including our new, higher, National Living Wage.

"It is not acceptable that some employers fail to pay at least the minimum wage their workers are entitled to.

"So we'll continue to crack down on those who ignore the law, including by naming and shaming them."

Named and shamed

1. Mr Ronald McConnachie, trading as Bay Newsagents, Weymss Bay, Renfrewshire, owed £12,527.97 to three workers

2. Busy Bee Nursery (Newport-on-Tay) Ltd, trading as Little Beehive Nursery, Fife, owed £9065.14 to seven workers

3. Topstaff Employment Ltd, Glasgow, owed £3355.25 to 20 workers

4. Macdonald Hotels & Resorts Ltd, Bathgate, West Lothian, owed £2123.10 to six workers.

5. Hairstopper Limited, Ayr, owed £2021.07 to two workers

6. Ms Susanna Ross, trading as Susanna's Hair & Beauty, Ayr, owed £2013.22 to one worker

7. K Construction (Scotland) Ltd, Edinburgh, owed £1916.61 to two workers

8. Newlay Civil Engineering Ltd, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, owed £1860.60 to one worker

9. Cheasty Ltd, trading as Papa Johns, Edinburgh, EH8, owed £1811.33 to 19 workers

10. Sine Hair & Beauty Salon Ltd, Glasgow, owed £1027.65 to one worker

11. JR's Hairdressing Ltd, Glasgow, owed £1000.16 to two workers

12. Ryce Limited, Fife, owed £935.96 to one worker

13. Mr Abdul Muslim, trading as Light of India, Oban, Argyll and Bute, owed £927.60 to one worker

14. Thomson ID Ltd, trading as Austen Thomson Hair, Edinburgh, owed £759.32 to one worker

15. Mead Medical Services Ltd, trading as Lydiafield Care Home, Annan, owed £741.67 to 13 workers

16. Fisher & Donaldson (St Andrews), Cupar, Fife, owed £574.32 to six workers

17. Ms Alison Vallance, trading as Vallance Hair & Beauty, Edinburgh, owed £547.20 to one worker

18. Mr Robert Louis Craig, trading as Craigs Courier Services, Falkirk, owed £484.90 to one worker

19. Benkaz Ltd, Shotts, Lanarkshire, owed £266.71 to one worker

20. Fury Murry's (Paisley) Ltd, Paisley, owed £216.14 to one worker

21. Miss Alison Margaret Smith, trading as AMS Hair & Beauty, Edinburgh, owed £150 to two workers

22. Assist Homecare (Scotland) Ltd, Stevenston, Ayrshire, owed £134.21 to one worker

23. Micro Fitness Limited, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, owed £104.93 to one worker