Harrods’ new owner, the Qatar Investment Authority, said an internal review was underway and declined to say whether it had identified or taken any action against anyone currently working there.

Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94, was accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women in a BBC documentary and podcast in September.

Hundreds of people have contacted the BBC directly about Harrods and Mohamed Al-Fayed since the documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods was broadcast.

More than 70 of them were from women who sent the BBC their accounts of abuse by Al-Fayed, including sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape.

Ward said in a statement in September that he had resigned from his role as trustee of the Royal Ballet and Opera while the review at Harrods takes place.

He added in the statement that he was unaware of the abuse at Harrods and that Al Fayed “presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussions and sexual misconduct”, calling it a “shameful period”.

He said no formal complaints had been made to him during his stay with Al Fayed, although rumors about his behavior were in the “public domain”.

The BBC had asked Mr Ward for an interview to try to find out what senior staff at Harrods knew about the allegations at the time, but was refused.

During the BBC’s visit to Harrods’ headquarters, Ward said Harrods had “nothing further to add”.