Details of a relationship between the co-owner of Asda, Mohsin Issa, and a former tax partner have been made public.

Mr Issa, 52, is said to have met Victoria Price, 41, a former tax partner at EY at an awards ceremony in Manchester.

The pair said in a statement: "Victoria and Mohsin are highly private people who are in a relationship and building a life together. They ask that the privacy of themselves and their respective families is respected going forward."

Revelations came about after the relationship with Mr Issa raised questions of a 'conflict of interest', as he was the director of a firm, Asda, being audited by EY.

But lawyers for the couple told the Telegraph that Ms Price never worked on the Asda audit and made 'all appropriate disclosures' to its ethics and compliance committee throughout her career.

An Asda spokesperson told the newspaper: “In a letter last summer, EY confirmed that they would not be able to undertake the enlarged audit – taking into account the acquisition of the EG UK&I business and the significant increase in scale and complexity of the group within the timetable to issue their audit opinion for the year ended 31 Dec 2023. 

“We notified investors about this on 8 August 2023.”

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Mr Issa is said to have moved out of the family home near Blackburn to be with his new partner.

Alongside brother Zuber, Mohsin made his millions in petrol station retailing founded in 2001. In 2021, they went on to buy Asda for £6.8billion.