Former Baugur boss Jon Asgeir Johannesson hopes to make a UK comeback and is interested in buying into small companies.

Johannesson, who faces trial in his native Iceland on charges relating to a loan from one of the country’s failed banks, Glitnir, has recently taken a 25% stake in Muddy Boots, a British producer of burgers.

Now Johannesson is looking for more such investments, but not on the same scale as the high-profile Baugur deals which included toy retailer Hamleys and department store group House of Fraser.

He told the Financial Times: ā€œI’m just looking at some smaller special things, mostly in the UK.

ā€œI’m definitely not in the same field capital-wise. But it’s good to be involved. People are always coming with ideas and I’m trying to get things rolling.ā€

Johannesson told the newspaper he was innocent of the charges against him, and said he was a victim of a vendetta by Icelandic authorities.

Baugur collapsed in 2009 amid the financial crisis. At the time it owned swathes of the high street including Oasis-owner Auora fashions - then called Mosaic - jewellery group Aurum, Hamleys and House of Fraser.