Administrator blocks rescue bid for collapsed Patisserie Valerie

The administrators of collapsed cafe chain Patisserie Valerie have blocked an attempted rescue deal by a restaurateur, it has been reported as evidence emerges of more fraud at the company.

David Scott, who sold Druckers to Patisserie Valerie’s then-owner Luke Johnson in 2007, had said he wants save at least half of the cake shops.

Read more: Patisserie Valerie shareholders consider legal action after company collapses

However, his bid was last week blocked by administrator KPMG and the law firm Gateley, which told Scott he would not be given the same information as other interested buyers, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Previously a high street favourite, Patisserie Valerie was propelled into the spotlight last year after it found a £40m hole in its accounts.

The company’s books showed it has almost £30m in cash on hand while it was actually nearly £10m in debt.

Read more: Patisserie Valerie enters administration after bank talks fail

Last week administrator KPMG said it was closing 71 of the company’s 190-odd stores.

This morning, the Sunday Times revealed that staff at the chain made up Groupon vouchers to inflate sales.