Natacha says workers were sent to Fayed and private meetings often "turned into more".

She says in such meetings she was subject to a "forced kiss" or being "pulled down onto his lap where his hands were free to explore any part of your body that he wished".

"These incidents lasted seconds but the fear instilled left me paralysed."

Because she was so young, she did not know how to deal with it, Natacha says.

She speaks of one night she was summoned to his private apartment on a work meeting.

The door was locked behind her and she was handed champagne, "there were sex toys on view. I was petrified," she says.

"The person I worked for pushed himself on me," Natacha recounts.

She says she kicked herself free and ran to leave, but Fayed laughed at her and said she "was never to breathe a word of this to anyone" and told her she would "never work in London again".

Natacha tells the room she no longer feels afraid and feels compelled to speak out for her daughters, family and friends.

"I was just 19 years old," she says. "Young, naive, innocent."

She says she was interviewed by Fayed and was "given the job straight away" and that she could "not believe how lucky she was".

"Mohamed was clever and manipulative", Natacha adds.

Natacha says Fayed asked questions, offered money for gifts and new work clothes.

"Unbeknownst to me, I had walked into a lion's den," she says adding that Fayed "preyed on the most vulnerable"

She said she was discouraged from making friends and that she was subjected to "unnecessary and intrusive" medical examinations.

"Given hindsight, I was being checked for purity," Natacha adds.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

We are now hearing from Natacha – one of the survivors.

She talks about now having the freedom now to speak up.

She says Fayed is a "predator".

A little earlier, barrister Dean Armstrong KC welcomed Harrods' admission made last night that it had "failed" the women involved in the case.

Armstrong said Harrods said it didn't know about the claims until 2023, which he called "simply not true".

The BBC documentary makes clear "this was systematic abuse", he said, adding that reports of Fayed's behaviour were made public as early as 1995.

"Those who controlled Harrods knew of Mohamed Al Fayed's inappropriate behaviour.

“We say that choosing to only address the accusations now is an insult to all the brave survivors who came forward with their stories all those years ago, and throughout, and up to now.

“We are absolutely clear in our view… it shouldn’t have come to this.

"We are here to say publicly to Harrods in front of the world that it is time that they took responsibility and it is time they set matters right and that is something they should do as soon as possible.

“They need to face up, to accept the responsibility that they have full culpability for the abuse these women suffered.”

• As a reminder, Fayed sold Harrods in 2010. The new owners say it is their "priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved".

Allred continues highlighting how the BBC documentary exposed a pattern of "constant and repetitive" sexual abuse throughout Mohamed Al Fayed's 25-year ownership of Harrods.

The US-based lawyer describes Fayed as the "epitome of a serial sexual abuser", who never took responsibility for his conduct before his death last year.

She says victims have suffered for years, if not decades, and have lived in anguish because of Fayed and Harrods's behaviour.

The attorney insists that civil justice is still available to the victims and warns it is not enough for Harrods to say they are sorry.

Allred insisted the "time for justice is now", and she welcomes comments by the new owners of the corporation stating they are "determined to do the right thing as an organisation".

"Underneath Harrods glitz and glamour was a toxic, unsafe, abusive environment," Allred says.

"We say something was rotten at the core of Harrods," she adds.

She again refers to Harrod's claim it was unaware of the alleged history of sexual abuse, but says the BBC documentary says the abuse was widely known by its employees.

"Al-Fayed's legacy was to prey upon, denigrate, humiliate and abuse female employees for his own sexual gratification," she says.

Themes emerged from the BBC documentary, she says. Women were "terrified" and "powerless" and "feared retaliation".

As a reminder, Fayed sold Harrod in 2010. The new owners say "it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved".

Some of the details emerging in this news conference are distressing.

If you're affected, you can contact the BBC Action Line.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

Gloria Allred, representative of the international legal team, says Fayed was the “epitome of a serial sexual abuser”.

Now to US attorney and women's rights representative Gloria Allred.

She introduces herself by going through the victims she's represented, including in the cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein.

"I am very familiar with how powerful men use wealth power and fame to subject women and girls to sexual abuse," she tells the room.

The allegations against Mohamed Al-Fayed include serial rape, sexual battery and sexual abuse of minors, she says, as well as the unauthorised disclosure of medical examination results.

Maria Mulla continues now, speaking about another woman the lawyers represent.

She says this victim tried to resign because of the sexual abuse she alleged, but was called into the office of the head of security and fired instead.

If she spoke to the press, Mulla says the woman was told there would be "serious consequences".

She continued to receive threats once she had left and became suicidal and was admitted to a psychiatric unit for six months.

"She was unable after that experience to form any proper relationships with any other man and lost out on the opportunity to have her own family," Mulla adds.

The lawyer says many women have told her things that they "haven't been able to share with another soul".

She says some women have hung onto documents they could use if needed in case Fayed "ever tried to come after them".

One woman told Mulla: "That was the fear he drove in you."

Mulla says that some of the survivors were too afraid to come to this press conference today. She says those here were thinking of them.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

The details emerging from this news conference are disturbing and shocking.

Maria Mulla, one of the barristers representing the women, said that from the investigations they have done they found that if women complained they had been sexually assaulted they were threatened.

The lawyer said some were told they would never work in London again and “I know where you and your family live”.

Often they would be demoted, Mulla said, and false allegations would be made about them.

Mulla continues to say one woman made a complaint to Harrods.

On the same day of complaint, the head of security contacted her and said someone "could jump out of bushes" or she "could have a sudden accident".

"She did what she was told as she was petrified," Mulla adds.

Next, barrister Maria Mulla talks about the system in Harrods at the time.

When selected for their role, women would be sent for "a private medical examination", Mulla says adding these procedures would be undertaken by "three or four doctors".

"Women would arrive for their examination none the wiser," Mulla says.

"They would then be told the examination was a full-internal screen, including full cervical smear and sometimes having their ovaries checked and a full sexual screening.

"This was designed for a secretary or personal assistant role."

Mulla says if questioned the women would be told something like "he wants to check you are clean".

The barrister says surveillance was "extensive" adding phone lines were "bugged" aside from in Al Fayed's office.

Mulla adds that security members would report back to Al Fayed what they would be hearing and recalls some women "speaking in code".

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

Listening to the barristers speak of the “horrific” abuse suffered by the survivors, those survivors listen intently from the front rows.

For them, its taken years for their stories to be heard, with many too afraid to speak out about what happened to them.

Armstrong introduces colleague Bruce Drummond, who echoes his horror at the acts his clients were subjected to.

Drummond notes the women and young girls involved have struggled with life-changing consequences of the abuse they experienced.

"It's not just something that goes away. It has long effects", he says.

"We're here today to tell the world this was not right. This should never have happened", he adds as he reiterates that Harrods must accept responsibility.

He thanks the survivors for their bravery in coming forward and the BBC for their role in exposing the allegations.

Dean Armstrong KC says his clients include "most of the survivors" who were in the BBC documentary.

"All of the survivors we have are here today," he says.

Before beginning, he says there is a website they have set up for people who are victims in the case.

Armstrong then introduces the lawyers we will hear from, but adds "most importantly we will hear from Natacha," who is a survivor they represent.

"Our single aim is to seek justice for the survivors of the sexual abuses of Mohamed Al Fayed," Armstrong says.

He says Fayed was "enabled" by a system "established" and "facilitated" by Harrods.

In his many years of practice, he said he has never had a case "as horrific as this".

As a reminder, Mohamed Al Fayed, who died last year, sold Harrods in 2010.

In a statement the current owners say they are "appalled" by the abuse allegations.

The Harrods of today "is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010", the statement says, and one that seeks to "put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do".

Since new information "came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved", the statement continues.

"This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees."

Read the full statement here

The news conference has just begun, where we will hear from legal representatives and a survivor on the allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed.

Stick with us as we bring you the key lines.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from the news conference

The press conference is about to start. The survivors have just come into the room and have taken their seats. We are waiting for the speakers to be brought into the room.

Shortly we will hear from barristers representing a number of women described as Harrods survivors.

The speakers will be lawyers Bruce Drummond, Dean Armstrong KC and Maria Mulla.

Gloria Allred who is a representative of the international legal team will also be part of the media conference.

We will also hear from one of the survivors called Natacha.

In the documentary, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, one of the women who speaks to the BBC is a former personal assistant to Mohamed Al Fayed.

Gemma recalls his behaviour becoming more frightening during work trips abroad, which she says culminated in her being raped at Villa Windsor in Paris's Bois de Boulogne - a former home, post-abdication, of King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson.

She says after she was raped, she contacted a lawyer who told Harrods she was leaving her job on the grounds of sexual harassment. Gemma says she did not feel able, at that time, to disclose the full extent and seriousness of Fayed's assaults.

In 2009, Harrods agreed she could leave and it would pay a sum of money in exchange for her shredding all evidence and signing an NDA. Gemma says a member of Harrods’ HR team was present as the shredding took place.

Listen to more of her story below:

You can read more about Gemma's story here.