Decision on Tesco accounting scandal due

Britain’s Serious Fraud Office is understood to be planning to announce a decision on whether to file criminal charges against individuals involved in the Tesco accounting scandal as soon as this month.

The SFO is thought to be looking to disclose any charges in the first half of September. The move would mark the start of a much-anticipated conclusion to a two-year investigation that has plagued the retailer.

The UK prosecutor was one of a number of agencies to open an investigation into Tesco’s accounting practices in 2014 after the company said it had overstated profits by £263m.