A new report from a US think tank, Internocracy, has said young people working for free as interns are legally entitled to be paid.

The group has suggested some young people who have completed work experience could launch claims for back wages.

Private sector firms could be breaking the law by offering unpaid internships, according to the report, with many volunteers legally defined as workers under national minimum wage legislation.

Internocracy has warned the current position leaves employers open to compensation claims unless they treat people employed on internship programmes as workers and to pay them the appropriate minimum wage.