1,000 postmasters take action over Post Office computer glitch claims
More than 1,000 postmasters have now signed up for legal action against the Post Office over an alleged computer glitch which led to a Shrewsbury postmistress claims led to her being wrongly sent to jail.
Rubbina Shaheen, who kept Greenfields Post Office, was sentenced to 12 months in jail in December 2010 after being accused of stealing £43,000 from the business.
In January Mrs Shaheen, along with 197 other former current and former sub-postmasters, were given the go-ahead to pursue a collective legal action to clear their names.
They say a glitch in the Post Office's controversial Horizon computer system, which records transactions, created financial discrepancies in their accounts.
Since then, the number of people taking part in the action has risen to more than 1,000.
Justice for the Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA), which is acting on their behalf, says any other postmasters who feel they have also been affected should get in touch before a cut-off date of July 26.
Alan Bates of JFSA said: “Sub-postmasters have brought the claim to force Post Office Ltd to accept responsibility for the flaws in its Horizon operating system, for its refusal properly to investigate accounting shortfalls and for its shoddy and careless treatment of postmasters who have lost their liberty, livelihood or savings because Post Office Ltd wrongly accused many of them of theft or fraud."
He said as well as seeking to clear the postmasters' names, the group was also seeking compensation for those affected.
The claim also seeks to establish whether sub-postmasters were placed under duress by the Post Office when they signed off incorrect accounts or when they resigned.
The Post Office has always maintained that there was no fault with the Horizon system.
It appointed forensic accountants Second Sight to investigate the claims, but while Second Sight said there was no evidence of "systemic flaws", it said the system was "not always fit for purpose."
The company also accused the Post Office of misrepresenting its findings.
Mr Bates added: “We are looking to establish that Post Office Ltd acted ‘unconscionably’, in other words harshly, oppressively or beyond what would be considered normal commercial bargaining.
"If that was the case, we’ll seek to establish whether this has a bearing on either the signing of the accounts or forced resignations.
"We are also concerned that individuals may have been unlawfully harassed and also whether Post Office can be held liable for damages in terms of the stigma created around the affected subpostmasters, for their loss of reputation and the stress caused as a result of these serious breaches of legal obligations.”
Mrs Shaheen was originally charged with the theft of £43,000. However, the Post Office, which brought the prosecution, agreed to drop the theft charge on condition that Mrs Shaheen pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of false accounting.
Mrs Shaheen said she only pleaded guilty to the lesser charge after being told she would not receive a jail sentence.
Any sub-postmaster experienced issues with the Horizon system after 1999, including alleged shortfalls or discrepancies, may be eligible to join the case.
They can see the website, www.poclaims.co.uk, email poclaim@freeths.co.uk or telephone 0800 304 7727.
