The incendiary claims

The full catalogue of harassment, race and bullying claims levelled at Sir Philip Green were laid bare last night.

The anonymous accounts of five former employees who said the Arcadia tycoon had behaved in an abusive and threatening way were revealed in The Telegraph, including:

WOMAN BOSS ‘KISSED, SLAPPED AND GROPED THEN PAID £1M FOR SILENCE’

Sir Philip allegedly groped a high-ranking female executive and called her a ‘naughty girl’ before paying her £1million in hush money.

The disgraced tycoon kissed the woman’s face, slapped her bottom and aired his views about her weight in front of other employees, she said.

The incident is said to have left both her and onlookers feeling ‘uncomfortable’, which led to the woman complaining to her human resources department. however, the handling of the complaint by hR staff led to claims of a ‘cover-up’, it was reported. While the gagging order was still in place, he told the Mail on Sunday: ‘There has obviously from time to time been some banter, but as far as I’m concerned that’s never been offensive.’

The senior female executive made a number of serious allegations against Sir Philip, including ‘inappropriate’ touching of her body, in 2017.

Further witnesses to his scandalous behaviour have since come forward. One said Sir Philip walked behind the woman executive and ‘grabbed her bum’, leaving her ‘distressed’. This claim was backed up by a number of employees.

They also alleged he grabbed the knees and thighs of other women at the firm, as well as making comments about their weight. It is also claimed he walked up behind other staff and massaged their shoulders.

The hR investigation said Sir Philip probably made jibes about her weight, as well as swearing and shouting. The probe also found he prodded, poked and slapped the executive – but it was shrugged off as light-hearted horseplay.

Papers were then lodged at an employment tribunal for sex discrimination, in which Sir Philip was named. But he allegedly paid off his accuser with a sum worth more than £1million.

Other women claim to have experienced similar cases of harassment. One said she had been ‘groped’ by the disgraced mogul on two separate occasions. She also said he had ‘kissed my neck’.

The employee refused to be named as she was still worried she would be ‘destroyed by him’. Another former employee said Sir Philip had ‘slapped her a***’ but did not make a formal complaint as ‘everyone in hR was aware’.

She added: ‘It was never a secret. It’s been happening for years.’

One witness to similar incidents told The Telegraph: ‘It was about power. he humiliated staff.’ Sir Philip has said he ‘categorically denies any unlawful… sexual behaviour’.

BLACK EMPLOYEE TOLD HE WAS ‘THROWING SPEARS’

The Topshop tycoon allegedly told a black employee his ‘problem’ was he was still ‘throwing spears in the jungle’.

The billionaire also ridiculed the staff member’s dreadlocks and accused him of smoking cannabis, it is alleged. The man, a senior executive, complained and was paid almost £1million and was also forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that banned him from telling his story.

The ‘vile’ comments can now be revealed now Sir Philip has dropped his injunction.

Staff were believed to have said the organisation needs to be ‘careful about hiring’ because Sir Philip felt there were ‘too many black people’ at the firm.

The employee in question worked for an Arcadia retail brand for more than two decades.

In one meeting, staff said the Topshop owner continued staring at the employee’s head.

he spent minutes narrowing his eyes and murmuring before shouting: ‘What the f*** have you got on your head?’ Other staff at the meeting were confused as the executive was not wearing a hat or a scarf. After a heated exchange, a colleague said Sir Philip was speaking about the employee’s hair – which was in dreadlocks.

The question made many in the room feel ‘uneasy’.

The billionaire also accused the black employee of smoking cannabis – which he felt was because of his skin colour. During the 2016 referendum, he asked his employee if he was voting ‘out’ like his chauffeur. The disgraced mogul assumed so because both men were black.

he also once told the employee: ‘The problem with you … is that everyone else is firing guns and you’re still throwing spears in the jungle.’ The worker left in 2017, with a tribunal for race discrimination following shortly after. In May that year the complaint was withdrawn and the employee was paid almost £1million by Arcadia.

When approached by The Telegraph, he refused to comment. But one colleague said Sir Philip’s behaviour was ‘vile’ and appeared racist. Others said he ‘may have thought he was being funny but the language was shocking’.

Staff who had worked with the tycoon for decades said he was well-known for inappropriate remarks to both staff and visitors.

Three years ago, an employee alleged he called one Chinese businessman on a visit to the company’s headquarters ‘Mr Ching Chong Charlie’.

A second employee confirmed this statement, saying he had boasted about the comment to a room full of people.

A staff member of Indian heritage was allegedly called ‘Bhaji’ and ‘Curry’. And when talking about her weight, Sir Philip is alleged to have asked if she had ‘eaten too many samosas’. Sir

philip has denied any ‘unlawful … racist behaviour’.

WOMAN BOSS ORDERED HIM TO COME NO CLOSER

A senior female Arcadia executive accused Sir philip of ‘grabbing’ her face, ‘inappropriate behaviour’ and making comments that made her ‘uncomfortable’.

The woman complained to Arcadia’s human resources department about her treatment and alleged she had been sexually harassed and intimidated.

Sir philip’s comments were ‘offensive’, according to sources who were aware of the process.

it was claimed the woman told the former BhS owner ‘not to come any closer’, as she was not happy he had touched her.

it was also said he squeezed her cheeks and put his arm around her back. The woman reportedly found his behaviour ‘intimidating’. She was said to be concerned about the treatment of other women, alleging the billionaire had been seen to ‘slap’ others on the bottom and ‘squeeze’ their thighs and knees.

Following the complaint it is understood Arcadia paid the woman hundreds of thousands of pounds. lawyers for Sir philip claimed, in documents released by the court, that his ‘style is predominantly jovial in nature’ and added he ‘has in a playful way poked and prodded individuals with whom he has worked closely’. ‘[he] has also been known to put his arms around individuals at times in a totally non-sexual way,’ they added.

FEMALE MANAGER ‘WAS DRAGGED IN HEADLOCK’

Sir philip allegedly publicly humiliated and assaulted a senior female executive when he held her in a headlock witnessed by dozens of employees.

The incident reportedly occurred two or three years ago. The businessman was said to have put her in a headlock close to his chest ‘telling her to sort items of clothing out and telling her off’.

‘it was very public and people were absolutely shocked,’ a source claimed. ‘he was shouting something about T-shirts. he thinks he owns people and can treat people how he likes.

‘holding someone in a headlock is an awful thing to do.’ he was also alleged to have ‘groped’ the woman’s waist and stomach in the office in front of her colleagues, leaving her ‘intimidated’.

The employee made a formal complaint and is thought to have received a payment of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Sir philip’s lawyers said their client was a ‘passionate businessman, who at times be over-exuberant and hotheaded’. They added he could be ‘perceived at times as aggressive with senior and trusted staff.

‘it is further denied that any of Sir philip’s conduct towards employees amounted to any type of crime, or anything that would amount to gross misconduct, or a serious risk to health and safety,’ added the lawyers.

SMASHED EMPLOYEE’S PHONE IN A FIT OF RAGE

Another senior executive alleged Sir philip smashed his mobile phone into pieces for not updating the tycoon on his work.

Sir philip is said to have shouted: ‘What have you got this for if you don’t call me?’, before destroying the handset. Sources claimed the incident was well known in the company, with the employee involved leaving his job shortly after.

it was further claimed the staff member was aware of other sexual harassment allegations and allegedly witnessed some of the incidents reported.

The executive was reportedly paid ‘one month’s salary’ when he left. it was further claimed he had recently requested a reference from the organisation.

The Daily Telegraph claimed over a dozen employees had also claimed Sir philip allegedly threatened to throw them out of windows or off balconies.

Others added the businessman had threatened to kill them and the newspaper claimed to have spoken to dozens of employees who made reports of verbal abuse, bullying and intimidation.