City law firm locks staff out of their computers if they don't do enough work

Solicitors at a top City law firm who fail to clock up seven hours a day of work will be locked out of their computers under a tough “name and shame” penalty system.

Lawyers at the Howard Kennedy legal practice who do not hit the target will first receive a “yellow card” warning before their computers are blocked.

Partners and other fee earners will be expected to notch up 5.6 billable hours - 80 per cent of their seven hour daily total under the new scheme.