Former BHS owner convicted after failing to provide information to investigators

Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell has been found guilty of failing to provide information about the firm's pension schemes to investigators after it collapsed into administration with the loss of thousands of jobs.

The self-described entrepreneur had claimed he did "everything and more" to help The Pensions Regulator (TPR) but was convicted of three charges under the Pensions Act 2004 after a four-day trial.

During the course of the proceedings at Brighton Magistrates' Court the 51-year-old, who confirmed ahead of the verdict that he would appeal any conviction, was described by his defence lawyer as a "scapegoat" in the wake of the chain folding.

But he was found to have had no reasonable excuse for not providing the information requested by TPR, with the prosecution suggesting he had been "making up the defence as he goes along".