More employees exist on less than the Living Wage in the St Albans district than almost anywhere else in Herts.

The figures are contained in a report into the Living Wage from the Office for National Statistics which show St Albans to be the second worst district in the county.

23.8 per cent of St Albans employees earn less than the benchmark figure with only North Herts having a higher percentage at 25.1 per cent. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Broxbourne has just 14.7 per cent of employees under the mark.

Outside London, the Living Wage is £7.85 an hour which equates to £345 a month.

St Albans Green Councillor Simon Grover said, “The Living Wage should be a minimum, not a target. It’s really concerning that so many people in St Albans district are on less, particularly as the cost of housing is so high here.”

He added: “The council needs to commit to the Living Wage for itself and its suppliers and do all it can to encourage employers in the district to do the same.”