Boston postmistresses urge people not to boycott their local branches following Post Office scandal

More than 900 postmasters were convicted by the Post Office after a faulty IT system wrongly made it appear that money was missing from Post Office accounts.

A public inquiry into the scandal began in 2021, and is still ongoing.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made an announcement last week that those previously convicted in England and Wales would be cleared of wrongdoing and compensated under a new law.

A petition gathered more than a million signatures following the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office shed light on the 20-year fight for justice that hundreds of sub-postmasters have endured. This lead to former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells handing back her CBE.

Many people have pledged to boycott the Post Office since, but local postmistresses in the Boston area are now urging people to show their support by continuing to use their local branches - which are seen a vital amenity in rural communities.

Donna Slade runs the post office alongside her village shop at Freiston. She said: “I would very much urge people to still support their local post office.

"This scandal is a case of the people at the top spoiling it for other people who are just trying to run their business.

“It's important people continue to support us and other branches in the area, especially in small villages like ours. We are essentially the hub of the community as we not only offer post office services, but also other amenities including fresh fruit and vegetables from our shop. For elderly people, particularly, we are the hub of the local community.

"If we had to close, a lot of people here would struggle. The post office also supports the flow of cash, which for those who don’t bank online, is a vital service.”

Donna said that many of her customers have been talking about the scandal: "Every day in here there is a conversation about it,” she remarks, “But thankfully most of our customers understand that we are just a family business, and have nothing to do with bad decisions made at the top.”

She added: “We have been very lucky here because we only took over this branch in September 2022, and the support we've had has been fantastic.”

Karen Clout, postmistress at Swineshead Post Office, who also runs a village store and gift shop at her site, agrees that people need to continue using their local branch: "Boycotting your local post office is the worst thing you can do - they are a lifeline in small communities like this.

“We are essentially the little people making money for the people at the top. If people stop supporting their local branches, they will all eventually disappear.”

She pointed to the fact many local companies are struggling with the increase in online shopping and banking, adding: “I would urge the public not to boycott their local branches, as this would come at the worst time when many are already struggling.

"We need your support now more than ever.”

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