Allan libel threat over claims of touching

‘We seem to have public discussions of allegations that in many cases will turn out to be unfounded’

THE former chairman of Tesco has hired a law firm as he prepares to defend himself against claims of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

John Allan said he had instructed media lawyers at Schillings and is considering taking legal action against The Guardian which first published four anonymous allegations of inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour.

The 74-year-old is alleged to have touched the bottom of two female colleagues on separate occasions, and made inappropriate comments to two other women.

Mr Allan, who has vehemently denied all of the claims apart from one inappropriate remark, stepped down as chairman of Tesco last week after the supermarket said the recent allegations over his behaviour risked becoming a “distraction”.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Allan said: “I’m determined, as far as I possibly can, to prove my innocence.

“But I’m conscious that if you don’t know what it is precisely you’re being accused of, it’s very hard to disprove.”

A spokesman for The Guardian said: “We stand by our journalism and the people who continue to come forward to tell their stories despite the significant risks involved.”

Mr Allan, a former president of the Confederation of British Industry said he was “flabbergasted” when first approached by about the story, which followed its separate coverage of alleged sexual assaults at the scandal-hit business lobby group.

He plans to campaign about the “catastrophic” impact that unsubstantiated allegations can have on the careers of people much younger than himself.

He said: “I’ve been talking to other guys. I’m 74. If this happened to them at 54, it would be absolutely catastrophic. They would probably be unemployable.”

Mr Allan also said he wants to help create a process for individuals facing potentially false allegations to ensure that they are presumed innocent until guilty. He said: “The real challenge is, is it possible to devise a mechanism such that this doesn’t happen in the future?

“As opposed to what we seem to have at the moment, which is guilty until proven innocent — and very, very public discussion of allegations that in many cases will turn out to be completely unfounded.”

Mr Allan said the incident has accelerated his retirement plans by about six months.