A former Harrods executive will not join Fenwick as its new chief executive amid a growing fallout over claims of sexual abuse by Mohamed Fayed.

Nigel Blow, a long-serving former Harrods executive, has decided not to become the boss of department store Fenwick despite being due to start in the role this month, the BBC has learned. Mr Blow worked at Harrods for 14 years from 1992 to 2007,

Harrods apologized to its employees on Thursday over the late owner Mohamed Al Fayed's alleged sexual abuse. The London department store was bought by Al Fayed, an Egypt-born businessman, in the mid-1980s.

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