3 days ago
Mohammed Al Fayed spied on Harrods changing rooms, says bodyguard
Mohammed Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, regularly spied on customers in the changing rooms, his former bodyguard has claimed.
In her new book The Monster of Harrods, the journalist Alison Kervin spoke to a former bodyguard of the late businessman known only as 'Biggie'.
In the book, publishing on Thursday, the bodyguard says his former boss also put cameras in the ladies' staff toilets.
Police believed Fayed, who also owned Fulham Football Club, may have raped and abused at least 111 women and girls over nearly four decades, though survivors believe the true figure is higher.
He evaded justice during his lifetime, even though 21 victims went to the police before he died in 2023. Scotland Yard has said that five suspected 'facilitators' are being investigated.
In the book, which explores the culture that allowed Fayed's actions to go unpunished, Biggie alleges his boss would go to extreme lengths to know what was going on in his Knightsbridge store.
• The monster of Harrods: 'Mohamed Al Fayed raped me'
''There were cameras all over the building, even in the public areas,' Biggie said. ''Fayed was watching the staff, but lots of customers were also seen on screen. The cameras were in the staff ladies' toilets because he suspected that women would gather in there to chat and he needed to know what they were saying. They were also in locker rooms and changing rooms.
'Also — and people don't talk about this — there were cameras right up to the entrance and slightly inside the changing rooms used by Harrods customers, which meant if you were in a Harrods changing room during the Fayed era, there was a good chance that he was watching you.'
He said that the footage was shown on a wall of 40 screens watched by security officers day and night. 'There was a seriousness to the basement, and the guys looked at the screens as if their lives depended on it.'
He added that John Macnamara, a former police officer who became Fayed's head of security, was also involved. 'But they also realised that many of the questions Macnamara asked were about females who had caught Fayed's eye, so there was also a lot of sniggering as they watched women in changing rooms and toilets.'
Another person known as 'the engineer' also discussed what was happening at Harrods.
''There were recording devices everywhere, and I'd have to make sure they were working and we were picking up everything clearly,' he said. 'Most of the things we recorded weren't listened to by the chairman [Fayed], but it was important that we did the recordings and kept everything properly filed, in case he asked.'
Harrods published details of its compensation scheme earlier this year. It allows people to apply for amounts including 'general damages' of up to £200,000 and a 'work impact payment' of up to £150,000.
