Beauty retailer Space NK has hired a former finance director of Liberty as its new chief executive.

Fraser Allan is understood to have joined this week, following the departure of Judith Pilkington last month.

A source told The Independent that his “remit is to energise and focus the business and get it back to basics in the UK market”.

Pilkington said she was stepping down from the retailer as she had achieved all she set out to in her five-year tenure.