Harrods public affairs director Laurie Mayer has retained Pat Lay,
a freelance PR consultant and former business editor of the Sunday
Express, to handle PR for Mohamed Al Fayed during his court case this
week with Tiny Rowland’s widow.
Josie Rowland is pursuing Al Fayed over allegations that the Harrods
boss stole from his old enemy Rowland’s safety deposit box.
This month Mayer has approached at least three PR agencies, Luther
Pendragon, Cardew and Co and Ludgate, for help with media relations and
PR strategy while the case is in court. All turned him down because of
conflicts of interest.
Lay is attending the hearings in the High Court and is handling media
enquiries on the spot. The hearings began on Tuesday and are likely to
last two to three weeks.
Al Fayed denies authorising the break-in to Rowland’s Harrods safety
deposit box three years ago. Josie Rowland is continuing the damages
action launched by her husband, who died this summer.
Mayer joined Harrods in May. He oversees an in-house team of 30 and
handles PR for the store and Al Fayed.
Leader, p9.
