Harrods has said it will not engage with hackers who contacted the company after an IT systems breach involving 430,000 customer records.

The luxury Knightsbridge department store warned its e-commerce customers on Friday that information, such as names and contact details, were taken after one of its third-party provider systems was compromised.

The breach is unconnected to attempts to gain unauthorised access to Harrods systems earlier this year, the company said.

In a statement on Sunday, Harrods said: “We have received communications from the threat actor and will not be engaging with them.

“We proactively informed affected e-commerce customers on Friday that the impacted personal data is limited to basic personal identifiers including name and contact details, where this information has been provided. It does not include account passwords or payment details.

“Affected customer records may also have labels related to marketing and services delivered by Harrods. These labels may include tier level or affiliation to a Harrods co-branded card although this information is unlikely to be interpreted accurately by an unauthorised third party.

“We would like to reiterate that no payment details or order history information has been accessed and the impacted personal data remains limited to basic personal identifiers as advised previously.

“It is important to note that the information was taken from a third-party provider and is unconnected to attempts to gain unauthorised access to some Harrods systems earlier this year.”

In May, Harrods reacted to the attempted breach by restricting internet access across its sites in a precautionary measure.

In July, four people, including two men aged 19, a 17 year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman who were arrested for their suspected involvement in damaging cyber attacks against Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods, were bailed pending further inquiries.

They were arrested on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act, and participating in the activities of an organised crime group, according to the National Crime Agency.

New Delhi: Tata Motors Limited has announced that its demerger into separate commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle businesses will take effect on October 1. The move comes after receiving approvals from its board, regulators, and the National Company Law Tribunal. As part of the demerger, shareholders will receive one share in the new commercial vehicle company for each fully paid Tata Motors share held on the record date, the company said in a filing to the exchanges.

The record date is pending announcement and will be revealed after the completion of statutory filings. Upon confirmation of the record date, investors will receive one share in the CV and PV companies for each Tata Motors share they own. Shares will be automatically credited to investors’ demat accounts, with voting rights remaining proportionate across both entities. Both companies will set their own dividend policies moving forward.

As part of the demerger, Tata Motors will split into two separate listed entities. The commercial vehicle business arm housed in TML Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (TMLCV) is expected to be renamed to Tata Motors Limited once the demerger is complete.

Tata Motors will rename its existing listed company to Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., retaining its passenger vehicle and electric vehicle businesses, as well as investments like Jaguar Land Rover.

Girish Wagh, who currently heads Tata Motors’ CV operations, will lead the new commercial vehicle company, while Shailesh Chandra, the current head of the passenger vehicle and electric vehicle divisions, will spearhead the PV-focused company.

Tata Motors announced that the demerger aims to unlock value and enhance corporate efficiency, highlighting the distinct market dynamics, opportunities, and capital requirements of its CV and PV businesses.

Tata Motors first announced plans for a demerger in 2024. The appointed date for accounting and valuation purposes is July 1, 2025, while October 1 marks the legal effective date.

Sir Keir Starmer was repeatedly pressed on whether VAT could be increased in the forthcoming Budget.

The prime minister was asked at least five times by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if he would rule out raising VAT, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves expected to have to put up taxes or cut spending in November to meet her own rules on government borrowing.

Speaking ahead of Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, the PM said “the manifesto stands” and that more would be revealed in the Budget.