Safestore, the self-storage group, has become the first British company to include a clause in its directors’ contracts that will force them to pay back bonuses earned for profits that prove to be false.

The Safestore clawback clause, which is in its latest annual report released last week, states that the company’s remunerations committee can at 'any time' require individuals to repay bonuses or Performance Share Plan awards if the committee feels the payments were 'manifestly inaccurate'.

Sunday Telegraph