Ex-BHS Boss Green Demands Field Quits Inquiry

A row has broken out over the parliamentary inquiries into the collapse of BHS, with the chain's former owner Sir Philip Green calling on Frank Field to quit his leading role.

Sir Philip claimed the MP, who chairs the Work and Pensions committee, was "prejudiced" because he had suggested the tycoon be stripped of his knighthood if he did not take responsibility for the retailer's £571m pension deficit.

He has been called to give evidence to a joint committee session with the Business committee over the department store's demise, a year after he sold it for just £1.

The inquiry confirmed on Friday the appointment of financial experts to scrutinise the company's finances in a move that was seen as risking a further conflict with Sir Philip.

Two of the leading figures were involved with Marks and Spencer at the time of the tycoon's failed takeover in 2004.

They include the chair of M&S at that time - former City minister Lord Myners.

Sir Philip, who is yet to give any reaction to the committee's appointments, had told the Financial Times he was "horrified" by Mr Field's comments ahead of next month's hearing.

He said: "Clearly he has already made his decision as to what he feels the punishment should be without even hearing any evidence from anybody about BHS or the circumstances of the last 15 years."

Hours earlier, he wrote a letter to the chairmen of the two committees demanding an end to "trial by media".

He said that while he welcomed the opportunity to speak to MPs, he was "concerned" about statements Mr Field and Business committee chair Iain Wright had made in the media "calling for me to lose my knighthood or suggesting I have asset stripped BHS".

"These statements suggest you are leaping to conclusions before any evidence from any witness has been heard," he wrote.

"They suggest that there will be no real attempt to run your inquiries in a fair way and that the outcome is pre-determined."

At the end of the letter, he adds: "I would like your assurances please that you will cease this trial by media and that from now on your inquiries will be conducted in a manner that is fair to all involved."

The retailer's collapse into administration last month put 11,000 jobs at risk alongside the workers' pension expectations.

The man who Sir Philip sold BHS to, Dominic Chappell of Retail Acquisitions, is also expected to appear before the committees.

Earlier this week the Business Secretary Sajid Javid ordered the Insolvency Service to carry out an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse, including the extent to which directors' conduct was to blame.

The investigation will look not only at the company's directors at the time of its insolvency, but also previous directors such as Sir Philip, who controlled BHS from 2000 to 2015.

Any of them found to have been involved in misconduct could be disqualified from acting as a director for up to 15 years (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) .