Harrods settling 250 claims against Mohamed Al Fayed

Harrods says it is in the process of settling more than 250 claims for compensation over alleged sexual misconduct by former owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

The luxury department store in Knightsbridge, London, said it had “settled a number of claims with women” made against the Egyptian-born billionaire since last year.

It added that since a BBC documentary was broadcast last month, more than 250 individuals were “now in the Harrods process to settle claims directly with the business”.

Mr Al Fayed, who died in 2023 aged 94, bought Harrods for £615 million in 1985. In 2010, after 26 years in charge, he sold the department store to the Qatari royal family for a reported £1.5 billion.

The BBC’s Al Fayed: Predator At Harrods documentary reported the claims of five women who said they were raped by Mr Al Fayed, with a number of others alleging sexual misconduct.

On Tuesday, Bianca Gascoigne, a model and daughter of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne, claimed she was sexually assaulted by Mr Al Fayed. She alleged in an interview with Sky News that Mr Al Fayed would grope her and force her to kiss him during their weekly meetings after she began working at the store aged 16.

In a statement, Harrods said: “Since 2023, Harrods settled a number of claims with women who alleged historic sexual misconduct by Fayed. Since the airing of the documentary, so far there are over 250-plus individuals who are now in the Harrods’ process to settle claims directly with the business.”

Earlier this month, the group Justice For Harrods Survivors said the number of women “feeling safe to come forward” was “increasing on a daily basis”. The group has been approached for comment.

On Saturday, Scotland Yard said a “detailed and thorough” review of allegations against Mr Al Fayed was taking place, amid criticism of their actions in response to women who said they had been abused.

The Metropolitan Police asked prosecutors to decide whether to charge Mr Al Fayed in relation to two out of 21 women who made allegations, including of rape and sexual assault, between 2005 and 2023.

Evidence was shown to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2009 and 2015, but it decided not to go ahead with either case because there was not “a realistic prospect of conviction”.

The Metropolitan Police sought “early investigative advice” from the CPS after 10 other allegations, but no further action was taken.

Mr Al Fayed was once among Britain's most high-profile businessmen, at one stage owning Fulham Football Club, as well as Harrods and the Paris Ritz.

He featured in Netflix drama The Crown, which portrayed him as a domineering figure in the life of his eldest son, Dodi, who he controlled with money. Dodi was involved in a relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales, when they died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

The drama touched on Mr Al Fayed's upbringing in Egypt, charting his rise from a Coca-Cola seller on the streets of Alexandria to a charismatic businessman with interests across Europe and the Middle East, as well as an ostentatious social climber who revered the British royal family.

However, his efforts were never enough to become part of the inner circle, and he never received the British citizenship he sought.