hi Paul, my husband contacted a solicitor as we have legal cover on our house insurance, and was advised that his employer was not acting legally, so he had a meeting with them and his boss agreed rather reluctantly to pay him for the hours he was owed, and he put it on his payslip as a bonus !! very generous of him, NOT.

Still at least he got the money he was owed, but it gave him the measure of his boss really, if he's going to try and wriggle out of paying staff for hours they've worked, so he's now looking to move on.