Philip Green tracked down and confronted at luxury US health resort amid sexual harassment allegations
Arcadia Group chairman refuses to comment on the allegations against him as camera crew approach him at US health resort
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Your support makes all the difference.Sir Philip Green was tracked down to a luxury health resort in America, where he has a £2.3million home, the day after he was named in connection to harassment allegations.
The 66-year-old chairman of Arcadia Group, which includes fashion brands Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, was named as the businessman at the centre of the allegations by a peer in the House of Lords earlier this week.
Lord Hain used the protection of parliamentary privilege to identify Sir Philip as the individual behind a legal injunction preventing the Daily Telegraph from publishing “confidential information” from five employees.
This give MPs and peers the right to say whatever they like in Parliament. They can never be sued for libel for doing so. It also means the public and media have a right to report what is said in the chamber.
The retail tycoon refused to comment on the claims, which include sexual harassment and racial abuse, when he was approached by a Sky News journalist at Canyon Ranch resort in Tuscon, Arizona.
He has previously denied the allegations against him.
Sir Philip owns a £2.3m nine-bedroom home, which he built, in the grounds of the luxury health resort.
The businessman was filmed wearing sports gear with a white towel slung over his left shoulder as he tries to grab the mobile phone being used to film him.
As he was approached by the camera, he said: “Can you put that away. You need to leave. Can you go away? You're starting to really annoy me. I believe you're being intrusive.”
A member of staff can then be seen positioning himself between Sir Philip and the Sky News team as the businessman climbs onto a golf buggy and speeds off.
Sir Philip reportedly later said off camera that he could not comment on developments in the UK for legal reasons “even if I wanted to”, Sky News reported.
It was the first time the 66-year-old had been spotted in public since former Labour cabinet minister Lord Hain identified him earlier this week.
Lord Hain named him after The Daily Telegraph claimed that an unnamed businessman had been granted an injunction to prevent them revealing alleged sexual harassment and racial abuse of staff.
The Court of Appeal granted Arcadia Group a temporary injunction banning the naming of Sir Philip, his firm or other details of the case pending a full trial.
Sir Philip has said that he “wholly and categorically” denies any allegation of “unlawful sexual or racist behaviour”.
Lord Hain defended his decision to use parliamentary privilege to name Sir Philip, saying he felt he had a “duty” after he came under fire from legal experts who strongly criticised the move while the case was still going through the courts.
The businessman now plans to lodge a formal complaint against Lord Hain for his failure to disclose he had a financial relationship with the Daily Telegraph's lawyers.
Lord Hain, who acts as a global and governmental adviser for the law firm Gordon Dadds, said he had been "completely unaware" it was acting for the Daily Telegraph in the case.
Former attorney general Dominic Grieve QC said Lord Hain's behaviour had been “clearly arrogant” and he had abused parliamentary privilege in deciding he knew better than the courts.
The identification of Sir Philip led to fresh calls for the Honours Forfeiture Committee to consider withdrawing his knighthood – previously challenged in the furore over shortfalls in the BHS pension scheme.
Downing Street stressed that the Honours Forfeiture Committee was independent.
“They are constantly reviewing evidence in relation to matters like this,” a Number 10 spokeswoman said.
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