A former senior executive at Harrods has pulled out of a move to become the boss of department store Fenwick, weeks before he was due to start.

Nigel Blow also held previous roles as chairman of Arnotts and managing director of Brown Thomas.

He worked at Harrods between 1992 and 2007, when it was owned by Mohamed Al Fayed.

Mr Al Fayed, the former Harrods and Fulham FC owner who died last year aged 94, is accused of multiple sexual assaults after a BBC investigation was published last month.

The claims include five accusations of rape and multiple allegations of sexual abuse.

A Fenwick spokesman said: “In July 2024, we announced that we would be appointing Nigel Blow as CEO of Fenwick. Nigel Blow has informed us that he will no longer be taking up this position.”

The department store did not give a reason for the decision.

Fenwick is a 140-year-old retail chain which started in Newcastle. It currently has eight stores across the UK.

Mr Blow joined Harrods in 1992, rising to chief merchant at the store and taking a place on the board in 2003.

He left the company in 2007 to join Irish retailer Brown Thomas, but later returned to another retailer owned by the Fayed company – shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser.

He left in 2017, and was later named chief executive of Morleys department stores.

The news comes after barristers representing alleged victims of Mr Al Fayed said on Tuesday that the group has more than 70 clients.

Justice For Harrods Survivors said the number of women “feeling safe to come forward” is “increasing on a daily basis”.

And in September, the Metropolitan Police confirmed officers are investigating a number of new allegations made against Mr Al Fayed, in addition to previous reports.

The force said it will carry out “full reviews of all existing allegations” of incidents reported to have taken place between 1979 and 2013 to ensure there are “no new lines of inquiry based on new information which has emerged”.

Mr Blow could not be reached for comment. – PA