Former BHS owner, who bought now-closed chain for £1, reportedly arrested for failing to pay HMRC

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The former bankrupt who bought BHS from Sir Philip Green for a pound has reportedly been arrested over unpaid tax.

Dominic Chappell, 49, is alleged to have been arrested by HM Revenue & Customs for failing to pay more than £500,000 in tax on money from the department store chain, according to the Sunday Times.

An HMRC spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on identifiable cases, but can confirm we arrested a 49-year-old businessman.”

She said the arrest was made on 2 November.

The same day, the Pensions Regulator began enforcement action against Green and Chappell “to seek redress on behalf of the BHS pension schemes”.

The watchdog is reportedly pursuing a payment of £350m after BHS collapsed in April, resulting in a £571m pension deficit and the scheme falling into the Pension Protection Fund (PPF).