John Galliano is still taking legal action against the pair whose complaint about his allegedly antisemitic behaviour led to his arrest and his eventual firing from Christian Dior.

The designer’s Jewish lawyer, Stephane Zerbib, said that his client would still sue the original complainants despite prosecutors filing charges against him.

After he was sacked from his role as Christian Dior’s chief designer, Mr Galliano said he denied the accusations and that he had “commenced proceedings for defamation”.

However the statement came in the wake of a video circulated online that showed him declaring his love for Adolf Hitler and joking about the gas chambers.

One of the complainants, Philippe Virgiti, said in a recent interview that while he maintained Mr Galliano had directed antisemitic comments at him and his friend Geraldine Bloch, he was “convinced that his words overtook his mind”.

Mr Virgit added: “I do not believe he is racist or antisemitic.

Mr Galliano is expected to face trial by September. If he is convicted he could be fined up to £20,000 and be sent to jail for up to six months.