Harrods boss Michael Ward ‘dreadfully sorry’ for Al Fayed abuse

Harrods new owner, the Qatar Investment Authority, said an internal review was ongoing and declined to say whether it had identified or taken any action against anyone currently working there.

Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, was accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women in a BBC documentary and podcast in September.

Hundreds of people have contacted the BBC directly about Harrods and Mohamed Al-Fayed since the documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods aired.

More than 70 of those were from women who sent the BBC their accounts of abuse by Al-Fayed including sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.

Mr Ward said in a statement in September that he had stepped down from his role as a trustee of Royal Ballet and Opera while the review at Harrods takes place.

He added in the statement that he did not know of the abuse at Harrods and that Al Fayed “presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct”, calling it a “shameful period”.

He said no formal complaints had been brought to him during his time with Al Fayed, although rumours of his behaviour were in the “public domain”.

The BBC had asked Mr Ward for an interview to try and find out what was known by senior staff at Harrods of the allegations at the time but that was declined.

During the BBC’s approach at the Harrods headquarters, Mr Ward said Harrods had “nothing further to add.”