Sub-postmasters say they are victims of a second scandal

By Matthew BarlowBBC News, Derby

Two sub-postmasters in Derbyshire claim they are the victims of a second post office scandal due to a row over contracts and pay.

Sue Bruce and Phil Dolby have just weeks to find people to take over their respective "hard to reach" branches or risk losing money.

The pair resigned as part of a shake-up of the postal service - aimed at making it financially stronger.

They must find replacements by the end of March or face having their pay cut.

The row is linked to the Post Office's Network Transformation project, which launched in 2012.

Under the scheme, sub-postmasters were given new contracts to sign but some, mainly in rural areas, feared they would be much worse off if they did.

Those who resigned, including Ms Bruce and Mr Dolby, were offered a leavers payment of 26 months' pay on the condition they could find a replacement sub-postmaster to run a post office in their locality.

However, the Post Office has since written to sub-postmasters informing them this scheme will end in March.

It means if they fail to line up a replacement operator by then, their leavers payment will be cut to 12 months' pay.

Branches where a new operator is needed have been put on a Hard to Place register by the Post Office. There are 105 branches on this register.

Ms Bruce is the sub-postmistress of the post office in Hartington, which is located in a café she runs.

She has been on the register since 2018 but doubts a new operator will come forward.

Ms Bruce told the BBC she feels it will be unfair if she does not get 26 months of pay because she will have costs to cover when she closes her post office.

"I've been doing this job since 2002 and it's been my life. I loved it. But not now," she said. "Everything has changed. They [the Post Office] just don't care."

Mr Dolby, sub-postmaster of the post office in Crich, also chose to resign after estimating his income would have been about two thirds less if he had signed the new contract.

While he has had some interest, he doubts anyone will take over the post office service before the March deadline.

He said it was hard in a small village because it was often supermarkets that took over as operators.

Tim Boothman, chairman of the National Federation of SubPostmasters, said bringing in new blood to the postal service was hard following the Horizon scandal.

He said people should also focus on what is happening with the leavers payments situation.

"They [sub-postmasters] feel they have been wronged by the Post Office. Everyone is aware of the Horizon scandal and what has happened in the past," he said.

"This is actually happening now. This is the Post Office behaving in exactly the same way now as it was before the two Horizon trials of 2019."

He added it was ultimately the Post Office's responsibility to find replacement operators.

In response, the Post Office pointed out that all affected sub-postmasters would receive at least 12 months' pay.

A spokesman said: "We understand that some of these remaining branches are in locations where finding a replacement is very challenging.

"We continue to work closely with these branches to support them in this process."

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