RETAIL giants WH Smith, Marks & Spencer and Argos were among the firms named and shamed by the government for failing to pay the minimum wage today.

Almost £5 million was found to be owed to about 63,000 workers following investigations by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) dating back to 2017.

Named employers were made to pay back the shortfall and were also fined around £7m.

Low Pay Commission chairman Bryan Sanderson said: “Regular naming rounds should be a useful tool in raising awareness of underpayment and helping to protect minimum wage workers.”

High street retailer WH Smith was the worst offender, failing to pay around £1m to 17,607 staff, according to HMRC.

The firm blamed an error related to its company uniform policy.

Marks & Spencer, which held back £578,390 from 5,363 workers, said an “unintentional technical issue” was the cause, while Sainsbury’s-owned retailer Argos, which failed to pay more than 10,000 staff £480,093, blamed a “payroll error.”