Seven Hampshire businesses have been named in an HMRC list for minimum wage breaches.

According to research by Azets, a top UK accountancy firm, these businesses accounted for £159,000 of underpaid National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW), affecting 513 employees.

Clair Williams, head of employment tax at Azets, said: "There is simply no margin for error, as our research shows.

"Even if you are only underpaying a worker by 3p per week, this is enough to put your business on HMRC's radar."

The HMRC list identified 518 UK employers who, between 2015 and 2022, failed to comply with NMW and NLW regulations.

They had underpaid a total of £7.4 million, affecting nearly 60,000 workers.

The breaches had "serious consequences," including penalties of up to 200 per cent of the underpayment, reputational damage, and potential future HMRC investigations, Clair said.

Azets offers NMW/NLW checks and support to businesses facing HMRC enquiries.