An Irvine and Kilwinning landlady has been accused by former staff of not paying their wages.

Former employees have claimed Amanda Finnigan, who runs Lyrics in Irvine and Home Bar in Kilwinning, hasn’t paid them wages owed.

However Ms Finnigan hit back this week, insisting she does pay staff - and described the accusations as ‘malicious’.

On a widely shared social media post last week Samantha Currie wrote: “Been working shifts in Kilwinning’s Home Bar and Irvine’s Lyric Bar for the past seven weeks and have been bumped out my wages.

“Our families had to scrape our rent money together and if it wasn’t for them, my two-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter would have gone hungry as well.”

Speaking to the Irvine Times later, she confirmed she had received payment after sharing the post.

She said: “The lengths I have had to go to get them is unreal.”

Following this others have spoke of similar complaints of being fobbed off.

One employee said he left his job as chef in Kilwinning’s Home Bar a month after Ms Finnigan took over.

Marc Smith said: “I’ve still not been paid. I had been working with the company for nine and a half months. Amanda took over in my last month. In her whole time period I’ve not been paid.

“I sort of saw the light with her and thought I’m not having this and jumped ship.

He told the Irvine Times he had sent a letter recorded delivery stating that she’s got seven days to pay before filing for a court hearing.

“In the past couple of days Samantha got paid and all I’ve heard have been excuses saying you’ll get it in your account this day, or that, so I’m just fed up now.

In response Amanda Finnigan said: “We have across both places 14 staff members currently, who are happy in their employ and paid in full on time when due.

“We have been hit with many teething problems since opening and every one we have dealt with as it has arisen.

“If this situation had arisen in any other bar or work place it would not have made the newspaper, it is different with Lyrics and Home due to a prior [national newspaper] article in Feb 2014.

“We are a very easy target.”