For the first time after hundreds of women made allegations of Sexual Abuse against former owner mohamed Al Fayed. Michael ward said in a statement the company failed our colleagues and that he wanted to make it clear that he was not aware of criminality and abuse. Our correspondent, helena wilkinson, is in knightsbridge. Helena. This is the first time we have heard from Michael Ward since the Bbc Documentary last week. Let me read you a bit more of the statement we have had in the last hour. He says he wanted to convey his personal horror at the revelations that have emerged over the past week. He says that we have all seen the survivors bravely speak about the terrible abuse they suffered at the hands of former owner mohamed Al Fayed. We failed our colleagues and for that we are deeply sorry. The statement also goes on to say, i feel it is important to make it clear that i was not aware of his criminality and abuse. While it is true rumours of his behaviour circulated in the public domain, no charges or allegations were ever put to me by the police, the cps, internal channels or others. The statement goes on to say, Al Fayed operated This business as his personal fiefdom. It is now clear he presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct. He ends by saying, This was a shameful period in the business history, however the harrods of today is unrecognisable to harrods under his ownership. He also said there is an independent Review Led by a non executive committee of the board to further consider the issues arising from the allegations. That is the statement, the first time we have heard from Michael Ward in the last hour since the documentary, the Bbc Documentary, was broadcast a week ago. Documentary, was broadcast a week auo. documentary, was broadcast a week ao. documentary, was broadcast a week auo. yes, ago. Bringing in new measures . Yes, that is right ago. Bringing in new measures . Yes, that is right. Harrods ago. Bringing in new measures . Yes, that is right. Harrods previously that is right. Harrods previously said there was a settlement process, they are saying to anyone who might have any concerns, allegations, that they should get in touch with them. They have also revealed there are 50 Sexual Harassment officers that were introduced at harrods in the last year or so and the Bbc Today has revealed new harrowing details from a woman who was 16 when she says she was raped by mohamed Al Fayed. Before being attacked, kate, like many women weve spoken to, was sent for intimate examinations. Kate says hers was carried out by Dr Ann Coxon. When i first started working for mohamed Al Fayed, he soon asked. Started asking me inappropriate questions. Like, did i have a boyfriend . Had i been sexually active . I was only 16 years old and i was a virgin, and he soon discovered that. So, it was organised for me to see Dr Ann Coxon of Harley Street for a medical examination. This was offered to me as a perk for working in the chairmans office. Kates new testimony adds to accounts already broadcast in the Bbc Documentary, which has started to uncover the role of other people around Al Fayed who helped facilitate his abuse. And ijust remember the doctor, you know, saying how wonderful he was, and didnt he look after his employees so well . I think the doctor who did my medical should be held accountable for providing information to mohamed, which he used to take advantage of us. Two of the doctors dr wendy snell, who has since died, and Dr Ann Coxon have been repeatedly named by the women whove spoken to the bbc. Dr coxon asked me to do an internal examination. She wanted to test for hiv and stds, but i said that i wasnt sexually active yet so therefore it was unnecessary. My concerns were brushed off and i was told that an internal examination was necessary. According to the women weve spoken to, in many cases their confidential medical results were sent directly to Al Fayed. Once Al Fayed received their results, he abused them. And one night he summoned me to his apartment. Well, i was scared, but i knew that i didnt have an option to say no. And he started to pressurise me into having sex with him, but i kept saying no. And then his mood changed and the threats started, and he had become angry. The doors were locked and i couldnt get out. Thats when he raped me. The role of the doctors has raised further questions about who else facilitated Al Fayeds abuse. Women have told the bbc that some senior pas would send them up to his office, where they would then be abused. In previously unseen footage, one of the women, natacha, whos going to report Dr Coxon to the doctors regulator, and katherine, says others around Al Fayed have questions to answer. We were so taken advantage of, so taken advantage of by This army of people. It was like, as you said, a production line. Looking back, thats exactly what it was. The client agency, to the doctor. The doctor. To the Lead Pa and even the security guards. What about the drivers . The drivers, the security guards, nobody let on. The bbc has contacted Dr Coxon for a comment. So far, we have not had a response. The growing number of women who accuse Al Fayed of horrific attacks now want those who enabled his abuse to be held accountable. Its affected so many areas of my life, but having to live with the deep shame of what happened to me from when i was young, being paranoid about walking by myself at night, not trusting men in any form, its changed the course of my Life And Career in its entirety. Ican bring i can bring you an update. The bbc has been trying to contact Dr Ann Coxon. In the last hour we have managed to speak to her and Dr Coxon has said, i know you are just doing yourjob, but there is no comment and i will not be. The group of women you heard in my report have now put a formal complaint into the General Medical Council about Dr Coxon. Thank you. You can watch the documentary, Al Fayed predator at harrods, on bbc iplayer. And if you have been affected by anything in that report, you can find information about organisations offering Help And Support on the Bbc Action Line website. Next, israels Prime Minister, benjamin netanyahu, has dismissed calls for a ceasefire with hezbollah in lebanon. After a meeting of World Leaders at the Un General Assembly in New York Last Night, members, including the us, uk and france, called for a 21 day ceasefire. Our Middle East correspondent, hugo bachega, reports from beirut. Calls for de escalation, unable to stop the war. Across lebanon, more israeli Air Strikes today, hitting places like This in the south, the east, beqaa, two strongholds of hezbollah. In northern israel, sirens went off again This morning, fresh rockets from hezbollah. As the attacks continue, so do efforts for attacks continue, so do efforts for a ceasefire. At the un in New York, intense diplomacy. The us, the uk and the eu proposing a temporary truce between Israel And Hezbollah but it is still unclear whether This will be enough to oppose the fighting. Will be enough to oppose the fiuuhtin. ,. fighting. The rockets must stop now. The Air Strikes fighting. The rockets must stop now. The Air Strikes must fighting. The rockets must stop now. The Air Strikes must stop fighting. The rockets must stop now. The Air Strikes must stop now. Fighting. The rockets must stop now. The Air Strikes must stop now. Talks| the Air Strikes must stop now. Talks must start now. With an immediate ceasefire on both sides now. It is time to pull back from the brink. In lebanon, public services are struggling to cope with rising numbers of casualties and residents fleeing the conflict. But people are coming together, doing what they can to help. This is another Shelter Thatis to help. This is another shelter that is housing people coming from the South And East, Tens Of Thousands of people have already been displaced. If This conflict continues, many more will be forced to flee their homes. Translation i am exhausted, to flee their homes. Translation iam exhausted, i to flee their homes. Translation i am exhausted, i am concerned for my village. Im translation i am exhausted, i am concerned for my village. Concerned for my village. Im very tired and upset concerned for my village. Im very tired and upset to concerned for my village. Im very tired and upset to see concerned for my village. Im very tired and upset to see the tired and upset to see the bombardment. When the war is over, we will go back to our village, what can we do . Can we do . This is the way it is. Translation can we do . This is the way it is. Translation we can we do . This is the way it is. Translation we have can we do . This is the way it is. Translation we have been | can we do . This is the way it is. Translation we have been living in our Villaue Translation we have been living in our village for translation we have been living in our village for a translation we have been living in our village for a while. Translation we have been living in our village for a while. It translation we have been living in our village for a while. It has translation we have been living in our village for a while. It has been our village for a while. It has been so stressful, it has been a horrendous week for my village in the south horrendous week for my village in the south.... the south. You are 22, are you concerned the south. You are 22, are you concerned about the south. You are 22, are you concerned about your the south. You are 22, are you concerned about your future . | the south. You are 22, are you concerned about your future . Yes, for sure. Concerned about your future . Yes, for sure we concerned about your future . Yes, for sure. We might concerned about your future . Yes, for sure. We might be concerned about your future . Yes, for sure. We might be dead tomorrow. So far. For sure. We might be dead tomorrow. So far. Israel for sure. We might be dead tomorrow. So far, israel has been fighting only from the air but it may launch a Ground Offensive to push hezbollah away from the border. The uk is urging citizens to leave the country while commercial options remain available. Forthe while commercial options remain available. For the lebanese who cannot escape, there is Hope Diplomacy can stop the war. In a moment, well speak to our Middle East correspondent, yolande knell, injerusalem, and our diplomatic correspondent, james landale, in New York. But first, lets go to hugo bachega, who is in beirut. Hugo, how likely is a ceasefire . I think there is no sign Israel And Hezbollah are interested in de escalation. From israel, the indications are the military is preparing a Ground Incursion into Southern Lebanon to try to a so called Buffer Zone to destroy the infrastructure used by hezbollah and to push fighters away from the border. For hezbollah, they have been weakened, but they remain defiant, they continue to launch attacks, and they say these attacks are going to continue unless there is a ceasefire in gaza. Very difficult at the moment to see how they can detach themselves from the situation in gaza. Across lebanon, the impact of This conflict is being felt. We are outside a shelter here in beirut which is Housing Hundreds of people displaced by the conflict in the south and many people have told us here that if the violence escalates, they fear they will never be able to return home. Escalates, they fear they will never be able to return home. Thank you. To jerusalem. Be able to return home. Thank you. To jerusalem, our be able to return home. Thank you. To jerusalem, our middle be able to return home. Thank you. To jerusalem, our Middle East tojerusalem, our Middle East corresponding yolande knell. Israel dismissed calls for a ceasefire . Well, there has been pushed back against the idea of the three Week Ceasefire Plan from across israels political spectrum. One Foreign Minister said it amounted to a surrender. But the israeli prime Minister Office put out a Statement Pointing at the Prime Minister, on a Plane Travelling to New York for the Un General Assembly, has not formally committed yet. They were commenting, really, on reports circulating in the israeli media suggesting as there had been a lull in fighting, noted over several hours, there was a suggestion the Prime Minister had given the green Light Forfighting to Prime Minister had given the green light for fighting to be east. Prime minister had given the green Light Forfighting to be east. Now, they have said the opposite is true and that the Israeli Military has been left with the instruction to continue fighting against hezbollah with full force and we have seen in the past few hours hezbollah rockets being fired once again towards israels haifa area in the north, mostly intercepted, and israeli War Planes hitting deep inside lebanon, including hitting the Border Crossing with syria, which israel says has been used to transfer weapons to hezbollah. Says has been used to transfer weapons to hezbollah. Thank you. Not to New York. Weapons to hezbollah. Thank you. Not to New York, our weapons to hezbollah. Thank you. Not to New York, our diplomatic to New York, our diplomatic correspondent, james landale. Presumably more talks today, more diplomatic efforts there at the un . Yeah, diplomats are paid to be optimistic and hopeful and they are not disheartened, those i have spoken to This morning, about the response from israel. They expected that, they need a proposal would get sucked into the mangle of internal israeli politics. They say benjamin Netanyahus Office has not formally rejected the proposal, they have said, we have not responded. It is clear that the israelis knew all about This, This proposal that came out all at night did not come out of nowhere. It is not a surprise and therefore The World powers would not have made the proposal if they thought it was instantly going to be thrown out. They also say, look, big move by The Americans. The americans were very reluctant to call for a ceasefire, israels biggest backer, and for The Americans to say, there should be a ceasefire, some in the diplomats believe the israelis will not be able to dismiss quickly out of hand. Benjamin netanyahu arrives here later today, talks will continue, diplomacy carries on, sadly as the fighting does too. Some breakin sadly as the fighting does too. Some Breaking News sadly as the fighting does too. Some Breaking News now. Sadly as the fighting does too. Some Breaking News now. The sadly as the fighting does too. Some Breaking News now. The metropolitan police have made a statement in the last few minutes regarding the allegations against former Harrods Owner mohamed Al Fayed. Daniel sandford is in london. What are the police saying . Police saying . Very lengthy statement police saying . Very lengthy statement from police saying . Very lengthy statement from the police saying . Very lengthy statement from the metropolitan police, one week after the Bbc Documentary exposing the scale of the allegations against mohamed Al Fayed. They are appealing for victims to come forward and contact the police. They also say that they are in contact with the lawyers representing the women to make sure that anybody who has featured in the Media Coverage or in contact with the noise has an opportunity to put information into the investigation. In contact with the lawyers. They say, we must fully explore whether any other Individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences, in other words, people beyond mohamed Al Fayed, who is obviously dead and cannot be pursued through the criminal courts. The first time the criminal courts. The first time the metropolitan police have said explicitly on the record they are looking for any other individuation who might have been involved. They are doing a full review of previous allegations made to the force and for the first time we have realised the scale of how many allegations had previously been made to the met police because they have said there were 19 allegations made to the met police between 2005 and 2023, relating to 19 different women for offences committed between 1979 and 2013. Of the 19 allegations, three were allegations of rape, 15 allegations of Sexual Assault, one allegations of Sexual Assault, one allegation of trafficking. They say they have also now received new allegations from people who had not previously contacted them about mohamed Al Fayed. The key message is, please come forward, get in touch with the police, we are now trying to see if there is a case to be built against any other Individuals. Be built against any other Individuals.. an 18 year old man has been charged with murder after a 15 year old schoolboy was stabbed to death with a Zombie Knife in woolwich. Daejaun campbell died from Stab Inuries after being attacked. Jacob losiewicz will appear at Bromley Magistrates Court today. A ban on owning Zombie Style knives and machetes came into force on tuesday, two days after the stabbing. Nhs consultants in scotland have been offered a 10. 5 pay rise. This