Ex-Mothercare boss Greg Tufnell latest potential bidder for BHS

Updated

Greg Tufnell, a former Mothercare boss and the brother of ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, has emerged as the latest potential bidder for collapsed retailer BHS.

Mr Tufnell has reportedly secured financial backing from Portuguese investors as administrators Duff & Phelps mull over several bids for the department store chain.

A group led by Mr Tufnell, including banker Nick de Scossa and Jose Maria Soares Bento, registered a new firm called Richess Group Limited at Companies House earlier this month.

Other potential bidders include Matalan founder John Hargreaves, Poundstretcher and Mike Ashley's Sports Direct.

BHS collapsed in April, putting 11,000 jobs at risk, and its previous owners, including billionaire Sir Philip Green, have come in for widespread criticism for leaving the business with a £571 million pension fund black hole.

MPs investigating the collapse were told on Monday that Sir Philip's Arcadia group was informed that the man he eventually sold BHS to, Dominic Chappell, had a history of bankruptcy and had no retail experience.

Documents sent to the Pensions and Business Select Committees by the Pensions Regulator show there were five missed opportunities by BHS's owners to restructure the retailer's pension scheme.

Later on Wednesday MPs will grill BHS's pension trustees and advisers to Mr Chappell's company, Retail Acquisitions.

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