THE former owner of BHS threatened to kill the high street chain’s chief executive when challenged over why £1.5 million was being transferred out of the cash-strapped company, a Commons hearing has been told.

The explosive claims came amid heated exchanges at the Commons business and pensions committees which also heard how ex bankrupt former racing driver Dominic Chappell was in the Bahamas when BHS fell into administration, leaving 11,000 jobs at risk.

Chappell was branded a “premier league liar” who had his “fingers in the till” during the hearing which is looking into how the 88-year-old company was allowed to founder in April with a £571m pensions black hole.

Chief executive Darren Topp alleged that Chappell – who bought BHS for £1 from Sir Philip Green – issued the death threat when he questioned him over the transfer of company cash.

“If you kick off about it, I’ll come down there and kill you,” Topp claimed Chappell told him.

Topp added that Chappell’s assurances on buying BHS “unravelled and, rather than putting money in, he had his fingers in the till”.

Topp claimed Chappell received a £1.8m payment from the sale of BHS and £7m from the sale of the retailer’s offices.

MPs also heard that Chappell was a “mythomaniac”, a “premier league liar” and a “Sunday pub league retailer”, according to former BHS finance consultant Michael Hitchcock.

Hitchcock said he was forced to change the company’s bank mandate to “stop any chance of money flowing outside of the business”.

But when it came to Chappell’s turn to give evidence, he turned his fire on the role of Green in the saga, claiming that it was the Topshop billionaire who had blocked a rescue attempt from Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley and tipped BHS into administration.

He said: “Mike Ashley was going to save the business, but Sir Philip Green was screaming down the phone, saying he didn’t want to get involved with Mike Ashley.”

He claimed that on hearing of the potential deal, Green called in a £35m loan held by his Arcadia group, pushing BHS into administration.

Chappell claimed he did everything in his power to save the firm, including offering Ashley his shares, but claimed his attempts were “rail-roaded” by Green.

Chappell said Green effectively continued to run BHS even after the sale in March 2015 and that the retailer was “saveable”.

He told the hearing: “I think our company was saveable and I think, had Sir Philip assisted us, we could have saved BHS.

“We were in the throes of beginning a turnaround proper after a very successful property CVA [Company Voluntary Arrangement] and we were moving forward.”

He claimed that because of Arcadia’s position as a secured creditor it was ultimately Green who took the decision to put BHS into administration.

He also accused administrator Duff & Phelps of being “heavily conflicted” because of its close connection with Green, describing the firm as the billionaire’s “pony”.

Asked whether he thought Green was a successful retailer, Chappell said he had been very successful at raising “a lot of money from businesses and taking huge sums out of them”, an apparent reference to a £400m dividend paid to the billionaire’s family from BHS.

He also said he is looking at launching a legal suit against Arcadia and Green over a BHS property sale by the tycoon to his stepson claiming that BHS missed out on £3.5m because of it.

Attention will now undoubtedly turn to Green’s appearance in front of the committee on June 15.

Chappell admitted he was in the Bahamas when administrators were called in to BHS, saying he was there on business before having an eye operation.

Asked if he had profited out of his ownership of BHS, Chappell said: “Yes, I have made a profit out of this, but I racked up considerable fees.”

But he also offered an apology to the 11,000-strong workforce, including 800 in Scotland, left in limbo.