Harrods apologises to Al-Fayed abuse victims

London Harrods' managing director yesterday said his former boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, who is accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, presided over a "toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct".

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Ward worked with the Egyptian billionaire at the luxury London department store for four years but said he had not been "aware of his criminality and abuse".

Fayed, who died last year aged 94, last week joined other disgraced figures such as Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, after a BBC documentary aired claims by women that he raped and sexually abused them during his ownership of Harrods.

Lawyers representing some of the women said they were victims of "systematic abuse" over 25 years "within the knowledge of Harrods", which Fayed sold in 2010.

Following the broadcast, the legal team said it had received over 150 new inquiries, a "mix of survivors and individuals with evidence".