Baugur has had to stump up £500,000 to pay advisers after it walked away from its £40 million bid for Moss Bros.

The Icelandic investor's advisers included McKinsey, The Gap Partnership, PricewaterhouseCoopers and DLA Piper.

Last Tuesday, Baugur announced it would abandon its bid for Moss Bros after carrying out due diligence. It said that changes to the company’s shareholder register had created an “unacceptable” risk for the investor.

Baugur is understood to have been referring to stakebuilding by fashion-to-furnishings retailer Laura Ashley, which has amassed a 10 per cent stake in Moss Bros, sparking suggestions it was poised to launch a counter-bid.