London firms that failed to pay workers the minimum wage have been named and shamed by the Government.

Major hospitals, well known restaurants, high-end hotels, nurseries, security and care provides are among the 84 companies in the capital that shortchanged staff.

In total, 83 London employers underpaid hundreds of their workers by more than £588,000, according to the list published on Thursday.

St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group failed to pay more than £123,000 to 75 workers, the Government said.

Some 55 employees at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were also underpaid, according to the list.

A spokesman for the two hospital trusts insisted that "no colleagues were underpaid".

He added that the discrepancy related to a technical compliance issue where part of their salary for a non tax-deductible “salary sacrifice” (for example, towards childcare) was not counted towards the national minimum wage, even though their gross salary was above the national minimum wage.

The hospitals have changed their process and improved compliance.

Five Guys was named as owing over £54,000 to 3,699 staff.

The fast food chain, with head offices based in Kensington, said "technical differences in how payroll regulations were applied" led to the underpayments.

"We worked closely and transparently with HMRC throughout the process and have made all required payments to affected current and former employees," the company said.

Across the UK some £4 million in wages has been repaid to more than 27,000 workers by 658 employers following Government enforcement action.

Ministers said they were determined to stop employers short changing their staff, announcing that penalties totalling £7 million have been issued to those found not to be paying the legal minimum wage, which is set at £12.71 for workers aged over 21.

The Government said it was committed to publish naming and shaming lists more regularly so that employers are swiftly held to account and make improvements as soon as possible.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “The best businesses know that looking after your workers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do, building the stronger, more successful businesses that drive growth in every postcode.

“Most employers already understand this, and I want to work with them to ensure they have every piece of guidance and support available to help them follow the rules.

“Short-changing your staff isn’t a shortcut to success and we are determined to stamp it out.”