SURVIVORS of abuse at the hands of the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed have complained to a watchdog about how the Metropolitan Police handled allegations.

More than 400 claims of sexual misconduct have been made against Al Fayed, dating between 1977 and 2014, including rape and human trafficking.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Sunday that it is assessing three victims’ complaints about the Met made this week.

It is already investigating one serving and four former Met officers for potential misconduct relating to the case.

The ongoing probe, led by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards under the watchdog’s direction and control, involves other reports made by four victims.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We are currently assessing these complaints before deciding what further action we will be taking.”

The force is investigating allegations made by at least 155 victims who contacted them directly and are looking at people who may have facilitated or enabled Al Fayed’s crimes.

Its probe, known as Operation Cornpoppy, launched 19 months ago and as of last week it had interviewed just four people.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We are assisting the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as it carries out an independent investigation into our handling of reports of sexual offending by Mohammed Al Fayed.

“As part of this, the IOPC is investigating complaints against five officers. One serving and four former officers are being investigated for potential misconduct.

“The serving of notices does not mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow.

“We are aware that further complaints are now being assessed by the IOPC. We will support these as required.

“Our investigation into individuals who may have facilitated or enabled offending by Mohamed Al Fayed remains active.”

The survivor-led collective No One Above has called for the National Crime Agency (NCA) to set up a joint investigation team to run in parallel to the Met’s work and have oversight of it.

No One Above argues that this would help uncover the international scope of the trafficking and add an extra layer of accountability and transparency amid concerns about the Met’s conduct in this case.