THE former owner of BHS has denied failing to hand over information to a probe into the sale of the collapsed retailer.

Dominic Chappell is accused by The Pensions Regulator (TPR) of not complying with its requests on three occasions, two in 2016 and again this year.

Former bankrupt Chappell headed Retail Acquisitions, the company that acquired BHS for £1 from billionaire Sir Philip Green in 2015.

The 50-year-old, of Winterborne Clenston, in Dorset, appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court yesterday. The TPR is based in the city.

He was refused an adjournment after he said he had not seen the summons because he had been on a boat at sea when it was served.

He pleaded not guilty to three charges of neglecting or refusing to provide information and documents, without a reasonable excuse, contrary to the Pensions Act 2004.

He represented himself at the hearing and accused the regulator of abusing its powers. He said: “We are saying that this is an abuse of process – that they have done this deliberately. We have supplied the information, they already had the information. They are abusing their powers in their current state.

“Myself and my team that I have worked with throughout the BHS days have complied fully with every single regulatory body.”

He added they had “not been sitting on our backsides”, before referring to Sir Philip Green’s £363 million BHS pensions settlement.