Ex-Harrods executive claims Fenwick stopped him from taking CEO job

A erstwhile elder enforcement astatine Harrods nether Mohamed Al Fayed has denied claims helium pulled retired of becoming the brag of section store Fenwick, alternatively saying that the institution stopped the move.

Nigel Blow, who worked astatine Harrods betwixt 1992 and 2007, added that helium “never heard astir oregon witnessed” alleged intersexual maltreatment nether Mr Al Fayed.

Mr Al Fayed, the erstwhile Harrods and Fulham FC proprietor who died past twelvemonth aged 94, is accused of aggregate intersexual assaults aft a BBC probe was published successful September.

I judge Fenwick’s enactment is unjustified, unfair and successful breach of contract

Nigel Blow

The claims see 5 accusations of rape and aggregate allegations of intersexual abuse.

Fenwick said successful aboriginal October that Mr Blow had “informed” the institution that helium would nary longer instrumentality up the relation of main executive, weeks earlier helium was acceptable to commencement the job.

But Mr Blow responded successful a connection connected Friday, claiming that Fenwick had “withdrawn” the offer, and that helium was “shocked” by the decision.

He said: “I was precise excited to articulation Fenwick and instrumentality connected the important situation of turning the concern astir to profitability aft a tally of poor, loss-making, results successful caller years.

“Disappointingly, Fenwick seems to person recovered maine ‘guilty by association’ successful airy of the understandable furore concerning the reported behaviour of Harrods’ erstwhile proprietor Mohammed Al Fayed.

“I judge Fenwick’s enactment is unjustified, unfair and successful breach of contract.”

Mr Blow added that helium did not cognize immoderate of the women who person spoken astir alleged intersexual maltreatment nether Mr Al Fayed.

He said: “Like galore others, I watched the caller BBC documentary astir Al Fayed’s behaviour with implicit horror.

He added: “I worked astatine Harrods successful elder roles from 2002 to 2007. I tin corroborate that, during my clip astatine the business, I ne'er heard astir oregon witnessed immoderate specified behaviour by Mr Al Fayed.”

However, helium alleged that Harrods’ employees’ offices, phones and cars were “bugged”, and that helium had been “followed by Al Fayed’s information team”.

He said: “On aggregate occasions I saw transcripts of my ain telephone calls connected Mr Al Fayed’s desk. Such behaviour prompted maine to question alternate employment from 2006.”

Until earlier this summer, Mr Blow had been main enforcement of section store concatenation Morleys, but helium resigned successful July aft being “tempted” by the apical occupation astatine Fenwick.

His assignment was announced connected July 30 and helium was owed to commencement connected October 17.

Mr Blow said that successful September, aft the allegations against Mr Al Fayed emerged, helium was questioned by Fenwick bosses astir his “possible knowledge” of them.

He said helium “assured them I had perfectly nary cognition of immoderate of the allegations”.

He added that Fenwick president Sian Westerman told him connected September 30 that the institution “‘was not capable to proceed’ with my employment arsenic CEO of Fenwick… successful bid to safeguard the estimation of the Fenwick business”.

He added: “The determination was theirs, not mine.”

Fenwick and Harrods person been approached for comment.