Mohamed Al Fayed: More sex attack claims against ex-Harrods boss

Melanie was not the only woman who tried to bring Fayed to justice.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it was “aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years” against Fayed.

It said each of the allegations reported to the force had been “investigated and, where appropriate, advice from the Crown Prosecution Service was sought”.

But Fayed was never charged with a crime.

The closest he came to being uncovered appears to have been in October 2008, when he was questioned over allegations made by a girl who he first met when she was 14.

Ellie – not her real name – told the BBC that Fayed personally offered to secure her a job despite her still being a teenager, and she started working at Harrods when she had just turned 15.

She recounted how in May 2008 she was told to go to the Harrods boardroom, where she said she was attacked by Fayed.

“He started…hugging me and [getting] touchy feely, and rubbing himself against me, and then he just grabbed my face and tried to… put his tongue in my mouth.

“I mentioned that I was 15, and [said] ‘what are you doing?’, and he said I was turning into a beautiful woman and grabbed my chest.”

She said Fayed flew into a rage and started screaming at her when she pushed him off.

Ellie went to the police and Fayed was questioned by detectives – news which became public in October 2008.