Philip Green was a ‘bully’, ex-Topshop director claims

Former Topshop brand director Jane Shepherdson alleged that Arcadia tycoon Green’s behaviour in the workplace was “worse than most” and suggested that bullying still took place within the business.

“There’s no question he was a bully, everyone knows he was a bully,” Shepherdson said at a conference organised by The Telegraph – the newspaper that was served a high court injunction preventing it from publishing details of the non-disclosure agreements Green had signed with employees in relation to claims he had sexually harassed and racially abused them.

Green’s name was later revealed in Parliament by Lord Peter Hain, using parliamentary privilege.

Hain acts as an adviser for law firm Gordon Dadds, which is acting for The Telegraph.

Shepherdson, who worked at Topshop between 1999 and 2006, said of Green: “He was a dealer, he wasn’t a great retailer in any sense, and knew very little about fashion.

“There was an awful lot of bullying and I think there still is. I think it’s become acceptable in the fashion industry in a way it shouldn’t be. But I think his behaviour was worse than most.”

She added: “He would get very angry and shout a lot. And then I would get very angry and shout a lot. Every time I did that he would back down, bearing in mind I was in a very good position.

“It was really exhausting doing it. It takes its toll on you. You have to continue to be very aggressive.”

Green told The Mail on Sunday at the weekend that he only engaged in “banter” with his employees and that he had suffered “the worst week” of his life after being named in Parliament.