John Lyttle, the former CEO of Boohoo Group, said his decision to leave in October was prompted by “surveillance concerns”, a report claimed on Friday.

The Times said that Lyttle and other bosses “claim to been routinely followed by men on public transport” and police are investigating.

He also talked of “corporate espionage” with the report saying new CEO Dan Finley (who’s also been running the group’s Debenhams operations or some time) and co-founder Mahmud Kamani have been followed in other public spaces at locations in London, Kent and Manchester, and have been “watched from outside their homes”. The Kent incidents are said to have taken place “within the Sevenoaks area”.

Police forces in both Manchester and Kent are on the case with Kamani “allegedly assaulted by one of the individuals, while there are claims that Lyttle encountered two trespassers on his property”.

The company “has also found surveillance kit” recording employees as they entered and exited its Manchester building, it’s claimed.

There has been no suggestion of who’s behind the surveillance.

The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office told the newspaper “we can confirm that Boohoo Group has made us aware of concerns regarding the discovery of surveillance equipment outside its head office.”