Tesco declined to comment on Brasher's financial settlement other than saying it would "reflect 25 years service". Tesco executives are among the UK's best paid, and last year the 50-year-old received a £2.2m salary and bonus package. Brasher is also sitting on free shares worth more than £5.5m handed to him by the company over the years and a pension pot of the same size. Analysts said Brasher had a "glowing" career at Tesco and was a loss to the business. "Richard is something Tesco hasn't got a lot of – he's very cerebral," said Philip Dorgan, a retail analyst at Panmure Gordon. He had been in a difficult position with his boss "breathing down his neck", he said, but Clarke needed to call the shots "because he's next in line". Retail experts say Tesco's neglected stores now require "eye-watering investment", with some estimating that Clarke will have to shell out £800m over the next two years to get stores and service up to scratch.