Owners of restaurants and cafes could be forced to hand over all tips to their staff under new government proposals.

Several pledges have been made in recent years to stop employers deducting money left for their staff by customers - although no legislative action has yet to materialise.

But a new 'tips bill' is being mooted and if it becomes law, will protect staff from losing out on the extra benefits.

There's no current rules on how tips are paid - some are taken by the actual staff themselves, others shared out among all of the team and some go to bosses to sort. A new law would stop employers making up staff wages with their tips.

Marcus Pearcey, who employs around 140 people across several restaurants, cafes and bars in Norfolk including Oaklands, Thorpe St Andrew and Easthills cafe in Brundall, said he welcomed the move.

"I don't have anything to do with tips at all, they go 100pc to the staff who organise it among themselves how they are divided.

"It's not just the person serving the customer who should get a share though, it's also kitchen staff and people behind the bar, so a tip gets shared among them.

"It certainly isn't right that an employer should be taking tips and deducting money from staff."

Iain McCarten, chef and owner of the Last Brasserie in Norwich, agreed. "We assign the manager to sort the tips through a system we have set up, I don't have any involvement.

"Tips are pretty good and they get shared equally among all the staff and everyone seems happy with that."

A government consultation launched in 2015 found restaurant customers were overwhelmingly in favour of the tips they paid going to the people who served them.

In October 2018, then prime minister Theresa May announced new laws to deal with tips but Brexit turmoil prevented the legislation going ahead.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also outlined his desire to proceed with the idea.

The issue will now be considered in the House of Commons in September.