Horizon Scandal: Post Office branches can't recruit because of distrust in its IT systems, MP claims

Residents in the Llŷn Peninsula's second largest town are set to remain without a Post Office because prospective owners have been frightened off by the Horizon scandal, an MP has claimed.

Nefyn in Gwynedd lost its Post Office four months ago because staff no longer trusted its computer system, according to Liz Saville Roberts MP.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP claimed that "countless communities" could be facing a similar fate, with interest in taking over the service waning following recent negative publicity.

Mrs Saville Roberts said she understood that some of the parties interested in taking over Nefyn Post Office pulled out as a direct result of the ongoing scandal.

A Post Office spokesperson said it will do all it can to "support postmasters and drive footfall to their branches."

Between 1999 and 2015, more than 700 branch managers were prosecuted by the Post Office for theft, false accounting, and fraud after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their branches.

The government has pledged to bring in a new law to “swiftly exonerate and compensate” those falsely convicted.

But hundreds of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses are still awaiting compensation despite the government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.

A statutory inquiry into the saga is underway and there was renewed public anger following its dramatisation in ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office earlier this month.

Nefyn, which has seen a rise in holiday home numbers, has a shrinking year-round population, down 79 to 1,294 residents in the 10 years to the 2021 census. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts said: “The effects of the Horizon scandal and Post Office business practices are still hurting our communities.

"The Post Office in Nefyn closed partly because staff no longer trust the computer systems, which I bet is happening in countless communities.”Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake has now offered to meet the MP to discuss the situation.Residents say they now face a 14-mile round-trip to reach the nearest alternative branch in Y Ffôr.

Veteran angler and countryman Noel Hulmston said local businesses and elderly residents in particular were suffering the consequences.

He said: "Some people, especially those without cars, are now seriously disadvantaged when it comes to collecting pensions, buying stamps and so on."Mr Hulmston continued: “We have just two ATMs in Nefyn but these charge £1.25 to take out cash. In contrast, ATMs are free to use in Pwllheli, which makes you wonder if operators are taking advantage of Nefyn’s circumstances."

"The way things are going, subpostmasters are a dying breed despite what Parliament says.”UK government criteria stipulate that the Post Office must maintain 11,500 branches nationwide and that 99% of the population must be within three miles of one.

Mr Hollinrake told the Commons the Post Office was currently meeting this criteria.Nefyn’s stand-alone Post Office closed several years ago when its husband-and-wife team retired.

The service was taken on by the town’s Spar shop with a promise of longer hours and more flexibility, according to Mr Hulmston.

Following its closure, and the loss of prospective operators, Mrs Saville Roberts has been pushing for a mobile post office in the seaside townShe told the Commons: "Last week, the Post Office said no. Will the minister guarantee the people of Nefyn that this, the oldest and second largest town in Llŷn, will again have post services in the town?”Responding, Mr Hollinrake promised to take up her concerns and look into the matter. He insisted customers themselves should have no concerns when using Post Office services.

He said: “It is very important that our citizens - our consumers - have confidence in the Post Office.“The Horizon system is being replaced. As far as I know, there has never been a case of a customer losing out because of the Horizon system.”The issue of Nefyn's Post Office closure was also raised in the Senedd on Tuesday.

Plaid Cymru MS for Dwyfor Meirionydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said: "It closed, partly, because of a loss of confidence in the IT systems, and I'm led to believe that other communities are experiencing similar responses too."

The Post Office said it was in touch with Ms Saville Roberts about the issue and that its branch network in Wales is now relatively stable.

A Post Office spokesperson said: "Nefyn Post Office closed last September and despite initial interest in taking on the branch, we don’t currently have an applicant. Tudweiliog Post Office is located nearby. It is reachable by public transport and is presently open six mornings a week.“The recent ITV drama movingly depicted a shameful period in the Post Office’s history. Nevertheless, we welcome it and its effect in encouraging victims of the Horizon IT scandal to come forward; and in precipitating justice for all those who have been wronged.

"We will continue to do all we can to support Postmasters and drive footfall to their branches in order to improve their remuneration at the end of each month.”

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