Angela van den Bogerd Shares Letter Attributing Sub-postmaster’s Death to Post Office.
An ongoing investigation into the death of a Mold sub-postmaster found dead at his home has taken a shocking turn, after a note was discovered detailing his concerns and the pressures put on him by the Post Office.
The note, found at the home of David Birchall, was passed to his local MP David Hanson (Delyn) who has since shared it with Post Office management. Hanson says he has been provided with no updates since.
Birchall, 55, took his own life in September 2020. He was one of many sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting through a Post Office computer system error.
A public inquiry into the scandal is currently ongoing. The inquiry has already heard testimony from other sub-postmasters who have suffered life-changing consequences as a result of the Post Office’s actions.
The Post Office has apologised for its handling of the scandal and has announced a compensation scheme for victims.
In a letter to Post Office chief executive Nick Read, Hanson wrote: I note the contents of the letter left by my constituent refer to pressures put upon him by the Post Office.
This is clearly a very serious matter and I am sure you will agree with me that the Post Office has a duty to investigate these claims fully and transparently.
It is now more than a year since my constituent’s death and I have been given no updates by the Post Office on its investigation.
Can you confirm that an investigation is taking place and, if so, can you provide me with an update on its progress?
I also ask that you meet with me as soon as possible to discuss this matter further.
A Post Office spokesperson said: We are aware of the letter sent by Mr Hanson to our CEO and we are investigating.
We are committed to supporting sub-postmasters and we have apologised for the historical failures in our Horizon IT system.
We have put in place a range of measures to support sub-postmasters, including a compensation scheme for those who were wrongly convicted.
- David Birchall, 55, took his own life in September 2020.
- He was one of many sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting through a Post Office computer system error.
- A public inquiry into the scandal is currently ongoing.
- The Post Office has apologised for its handling of the scandal and has announced a compensation scheme for victims.
Kind regards E. Thompson.
