diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs
index 4c15ca2669..60e429b427 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { MissingElementError } from '../../errors/index.mjs'
 import { GOVUKFrontendComponent } from '../../govuk-frontend-component.mjs'
 
 /**
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ export class SkipLink extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
 
   /**
    * @param {Element} $module - HTML element to use for skip link
+   * @throws {MissingElementError} If the element with the specified ID is not found
    */
   constructor($module) {
     super()
@@ -31,12 +33,17 @@ export class SkipLink extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     this.$module = $module
 
     // Check for linked element
-    const $linkedElement = this.getLinkedElement()
-    if (!$linkedElement) {
-      return
+    try {
+      const $linkedElement = this.getLinkedElement()
+      this.$linkedElement = $linkedElement
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new MissingElementError(
+        `Skip link: ${
+          error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Linked element not found'
+        }`
+      )
     }
 
-    this.$linkedElement = $linkedElement
     this.$module.addEventListener('click', () => this.focusLinkedElement())
   }
 
@@ -44,15 +51,25 @@ export class SkipLink extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
    * Get linked element
    *
    * @private
-   * @returns {HTMLElement | null} $linkedElement - DOM element linked to from the skip link
+   * @throws {Error} If the "href" attribute does not contain a hash
+   * @throws {TypeError} If the element with the specified ID is not found
+   * @returns {HTMLElement} $linkedElement - DOM element linked to from the skip link
    */
   getLinkedElement() {
     const linkedElementId = this.getFragmentFromUrl()
     if (!linkedElementId) {
-      return null
+      throw new Error(`$module "href" attribute does not contain a hash`)
+    }
+
+    const linkedElement = document.getElementById(linkedElementId)
+
+    if (!linkedElement) {
+      throw new TypeError(
+        `Linked element selector "#${linkedElementId}" not found`
+      )
     }
 
-    return document.getElementById(linkedElementId)
+    return linkedElement
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.test.js b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.test.js
index ad065b1a65..d808ccaaf9 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.test.js
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.test.js
@@ -81,5 +81,34 @@ describe('Skip Link', () => {
         message: 'GOV.UK Frontend is not supported in this browser'
       })
     })
+
+    it('throws when the linked element is missing', async () => {
+      await expect(
+        renderAndInitialise(page, 'skip-link', {
+          params: {
+            text: 'Skip to main content',
+            href: '#this-element-does-not-exist'
+          }
+        })
+      ).rejects.toEqual({
+        name: 'MissingElementError',
+        message:
+          'Skip link: Linked element selector "#this-element-does-not-exist" not found'
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('throws when the href does not contain a hash', async () => {
+      await expect(
+        renderAndInitialise(page, 'skip-link', {
+          params: {
+            text: 'Skip to main content',
+            href: 'this-element-does-not-exist'
+          }
+        })
+      ).rejects.toEqual({
+        name: 'MissingElementError',
+        message: 'Skip link: $module "href" attribute does not contain a hash'
+      })
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs
index 52636188a4..583d073d59 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ export class GOVUKFrontendError extends Error {
   name = 'GOVUKFrontendError'
 }
 
+/**
+ * Indicates that a Component's required HTML element is missing
+ */
+export class MissingElementError extends GOVUKFrontendError {
+  name = 'MissingElementError'
+}
+
 /**
  * Indicates that GOV.UK Frontend is not supported
  */