Film director Lars von Trier's company is being investigated by Danish authorities over allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.

Nine female former employees have come forward to criticise an "ingrained" culture of abuse at Zentropa, the company co-founded by Mr von Trier and former CEO Peter Aalbæk Jensen.

Several women have claimed Mr Jensen would grope their breasts, ask them to lie across his knee and "get spanked", leading a number of them to quit the film industry entirely.

Young female trainees were allegedly told to fetch nipple clamps and were forced to carry out sexually degrading acts for Mr Jensen, the Danish newspaper Politiken reported.