Clear Racism Allegations Surface at Al Fayed’s Harrods, Ex-Staff Reveal

London: Former staff at Harrods have come forward with some pretty shocking stories about racism during Mohamed Al Fayed’s time as owner. They told the BBC that many black employees would leave the shop floor whenever he was around.

One ex-security guard, who went by “Henry,” said there was a warning given before Al Fayed would walk through the store. It was like clockwork—certain staff members would just vanish. He described it as a “robotic” movement, where people would sneak out through an underground tunnel to avoid him.

Another former employee mentioned that black staff often found themselves in stockrooms or on tea breaks during Al Fayed’s visits. It was all about keeping up appearances, and only those who fit a certain look were allowed to stay.

The stories don’t stop there. A woman who worked in HR said they were told not to hire black candidates because “the customers wouldn’t like it.” Can you believe that? It’s just wild.

Even after all these years, Henry still feels nervous about speaking out. He worries about the repercussions from Al Fayed’s old security team. But he believes others should come forward, especially for the sake of future generations.

Harrods has responded to these allegations, saying they’re appalled by the claims and that the store is now a very different place. They’ve acknowledged the past but are focused on making sure such behavior never happens again.