A PLEA to keep using the Post Office has been made by the Lockerbie branch.
Staff at the High Street counter posted on social media this week calling for ‘continued support’ following a national outcry sparked by the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs the Post Office’.
They were responding to public threats to boycott post offices due to the show, which cast a light on the ongoing IT scandal, which has seen 736 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses prosecuted by the Post Office based on information from the Horizon computer system.
Some went to prison for false accounting and theft. Many were financially ruined.
Campaigners have secured the overturning of 93 convictions so far and the Met Police and UK Government are this week investigating the situation.
Meanwhile, the Lockerbie team’s statement said: “As postmasters ourselves, this programme has been harrowing to watch. Whilst the reaction from the general public to what the victims have experienced is understandable, the outpouring of feeling towards Post Office Ltd (PO) for their role in this scandal may be detrimental to today’s post office network and postmaster’s livelihoods by association.
“Postmasters have already been the most affected by this scandal so we urge the general public to continue to support your local post office.”
And they explained that postmasters are investors in the PO and 98 per cent of post offices are privately owned, with many having their lifesavings in the business.
The statement goes on: “They need your continued support to help the, to thrive. Post offices are the beating hearts of local communities, they are important contributors to local economies.
“Your local post office delivers vital services to the most vulnerable in your community: providing parcel and letter collection and despatch; access to cash, essential utilities, plus banking and Government services. Without the post office network, millions of people would be cut adrift from these vital services.”
