A serving Metropolitan police officer and four former officers are being investigated over their handling of allegations of sexual abuse made against Mohamed Al Fayed, according to reports.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the five individuals for potential misconduct following complaints against the former Harrods owner, who died in 2023 aged 94.

More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against Fayed dating back to 1977.

The IOPC confirmed the investigation into the officers, which the BBC said was launched in January 2025, related to reports made against Fayed by four people.

In a statement to the BBC, the IOPC said: “At this stage, five individuals – a serving Met officer and four former Met officers – have been advised that they are being investigated for potential misconduct.”

A Met spokesperson told the BBC the force was assisting the IOPC’s investigation into five officers.

A statement said: “One serving and four former officers are being investigated for potential misconduct. The serving of notices does not mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow. Our investigation into individuals who may have facilitated or enabled offending by Mohamed Al Fayed remains active.”

In March the Met said a man in his 60s was interviewed under caution over allegations of human trafficking and facilitating rape in connection with the investigation into Fayed.

It came after three women were questioned by detectives between 25 February and 5 March, also on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Police said no arrests were made and the investigation is ongoing.

The Metropolitan police previously announced the force was investigating individuals surrounding Fayed who could have enabled him to carry out more than 400 sexual misconduct crimes, which are claimed to have spanned decades between 1977 and 2014.