A HOTEL in Gwynedd has said it has always paid its staff at least the national minimum wage after it was named by the UK Government as not having done so.

The Lion Hotel, on High Street, Criccieth, had failed to pay £20,322.27 to nine of its workers, according to the Department for Business and Trade.

It was one of 202 employers named by the Government today (June 21) as having failed to pay its lowest-paid staff the minimum wage.

When contacted by the Chronicle, The Lion Hotel said this was due to an “administrative error” which was “rectified immediately”.

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A statement from the hotel read: “This matter was an administrative error with the nine individuals who were ‘living in’.

“The error occurred in our payroll regarding accommodation costs.

“This was brought to the attention of HMRC by ourselves, and rectified immediately.

“All of our staff have always been paid the national minimum wage or above.”

The 202 employers were found to have failed to pay their workers almost £5 million in a clear breach of national minimum wage law, leaving about 63,000 workers out of pocket.

Companies being named today ranged from major high street brands to small businesses and sole traders.

Among those also named were WH Smith, Lloyds Pharmacy, Marks and Spencer, and Argos.

Kevin Hollinrake MP, minister for enterprise, markets and small business, said: “Paying the legal minimum wage is non-negotiable and all businesses, whatever their size, should know better than to short-change hard-working staff.

“Most businesses do the right thing and look after their employees, but we’re sending a clear message to the minority who ignore the law: pay your staff properly or you’ll face the consequences.”

The full list of the 202 companies is available on the UK Government website.