Harrods in contact with ‘over 250 individuals’, following allegations against Al Fayed

Harrods says it is not “in the process of settling 250 claims against Al Fayed”, as reported in the BBC and other news media.

In a statement to Drapers, a spokesperson for the London store said: “We informed the BBC that there are over 250 individuals engaging in our process, we did not state that Harrods is in the process of settling 250 claims.”

Dozens of women have come forward since the release of the BBC documentary - Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods - in September, which featured testimonies from 13 women who said they were the victim of Al Fayed, when they worked at the store. In the documentary, Al Fayed is described as a "sexual predator". It is claimed some Harrods staff helped to cover up the allegations.

Following the documentary Harrods said it “failed” employees but it was “a very different organisation” from the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010.

Harrods has set up a webpage to enable current or former employees who believe they were the victim of sexual misconduct by Al Fayed to contact them and proceed with a claim for compensation.

Harrods was bought from Al Fayed by the Qatari Royal Family through its Qatar Investment Authority in 2010 for around £1.5bn.