Former Sub-postmistress received 'intimidating' calls from investigator

A former subpostmistress said she received "intimidating" calls from Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw, whom she said called her a profanity on one occasion.

Extracts of Shazia Saddiq's statement were read out to the inquiry in which she said: "I have received ... intimidating telephone calls from Stephen Bradshaw who began calling me before I knew he worked for the Post Office. He did not identify himself in his calls, he just made demands of me."

Recalling a date in November 2016, Ms Saddiq said: "Stephen Bradshaw called me and I refused to speak to him because I did not know who he was or who he worked for.

"In that telephone call...he called me a b**** which I found extremely distressing."

Mr Bradshaw, while giving evidence, called it "completely untrue", denied "hounding" her and insisted he would always say who he was on a phone call.

He did not accept behaving unprofessionally and denied the suggestion that it was part of the culture within the Post Office investigation team to intimidate people.

Mrs Saddiq managed branches in Newcastle before her employment was terminated in 2016.

Hundreds of Post Office branch managers were convicted of swindling money on the basis of evidence from the technology giant's flawed Horizon accounting system.

Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that hundreds of subpostmasters in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under blanket legislation to be introduced within weeks.

Those whose convictions are quashed are eligible for a £600,000 compensation payment, or potentially more if they go through a process of having their claim individually assessed.

While the proposals were widely welcomed, the Prime Minister is facing increasing calls to go further and bar Fujitsu from securing Government contracts and pursue the firm for payments.

Mr Chalk said the Government would wait for the conclusions of the inquiry chaired by retired judge Sir Wyn Williams before it decides what action to take against the company.

"But bluntly, if the scale of the incompetence is as we might imagine, then I simply would want to secure proper recompense on behalf of the taxpayer," the Cabinet minister told ITV's Peston.

"It's absolutely right that there should be justice across the piece, yes for the subpostmasters, which we're talking about today, but frankly also for the taxpayer. This has cost and will cost a fortune."

If Fujitsu is found to be at fault, it "should face the consequences", Mr Chalk added, in a sign ministers could launch legal action against the Japanese company.

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