Paula Vennells formally stripped of CBE by King Charles over Post Office scandal

Former Post Office chief Paula Vennells has been formally stripped of her CBE by the King for “bringing the honours system into disrepute”.

Ms Vennells acquired the honour in 2019, however the award got here in for enormous criticism on account of the Horizon IT scandal. She has beforehand mentioned she would give it up after an enormous public outcry. The Cabinet Office web site now exhibits the CBE has been rescinded.

It comes after 1.2million folks signed a petition demanding Ms Vennells was stripped of the gong after ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office reignited anger over the most important miscarriage of justice in British authorized historical past. She was awarded a CBE for providers to the Post Office regardless of lots of of employees’ lives being torn aside over the scandal.

Former postmaster Alan Bates, who campaigned tirelessly for justice, turned down an OBE himself as he believed it could be a “slap in the face” to the victims to simply accept it whereas Ms Vennells nonetheless held her CBE.

Ms Vennells, who was CEO of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, mentioned in January she had “listened” to the outcry and would hand her CBE again. Up to 900 sub-postmasters had been wrongfully convicted between 1999 and 2015 after defective Fujitsu accounting software program referred to as Horizon made it seem as if cash was lacking from their shops. Some of the employees confronted monetary damage whereas others had been imprisoned.

In a press release in January she mentioned: “I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence. I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.”

“I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system. I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.”