Karren Brady stayed at West Ham despite knowing of Sullivan women's team ban

Former West Ham vice-chair Baroness Brady knew the club's co-owner David Sullivan was banned from contacting the women's and youth teams because of safeguarding concerns, but has defended continuing to work for him for three years, the BBC has learned.

Baroness Brady, 57, who is best known for her role on BBC One's The Apprentice, has worked for Sullivan for the best part of four decades, including 16 years as vice-chair at West Ham.

In her first response to a BBC Panorama and Times newspaper investigation which revealed that David Sullivan had been accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour, lawyers for Baroness Brady said she stayed at West Ham because of the principle of a "presumption of innocence" and denied that it was hypocritical to remain there whilst also being a vocal supporter of women's rights.

Her lawyers said she had "no knowledge" of the allegations made in a joint BBC Panorama and Times newspaper investigation published earlier this week, and added she was "not involved in, nor did she witness... [any] of the incidents alleged in the reports".

Sullivan has categorically denied all allegations against him.

In correspondence from her lawyers to the BBC on Friday evening, she acknowledged that she was made aware that the Football Association had raised concerns about Sullivan when the FA contacted West Ham in July 2023.

This followed the FA receiving a complaint about a historic allegation dating back to the 1980s.

Brady's lawyers said, though she was aware, she was not involved in the decision made by West Ham in conjunction with the local authority and the FA to impose restrictions on Sullivan's access to the club's women's and youth teams.

The lawyers said her role was to "ensure the club's established and robust safeguarding structures, procedures and necessary confidentialities were followed and respected throughout".

Brady continued working for the club until April this year when she stepped down abruptly five games before the end of the season.

In the letter, her lawyers said she remained at West Ham because Sullivan always denied the allegation and she relied "on the principle of presumption of innocence in continuing to work at the club".

Asked by the BBC whether Brady saw any contradiction between her support for women's rights and working for a man who was perceived to present sufficient risk to women and younger people that he was prevented from contacting them at his own football club, her lawyers said there wasn't one.