The former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is to return her CBE amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters
In a written statement issued to the PA news agency, Paula Vennells said: “I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.
“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 subpostmasters and others to return my CBE.
“I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.
Vennell grew up in what she has described as a “probably lower middle-class” home in Denton,
She won a place at the private Manchester High School for Girls and went on to read Russian and French at Bradford University.
Public pressure has been building for days for justice for the hundreds of wronged Post Office staff, with more than 700 thought to have been affected including dozens who came forward only this week in response to the drama, “Mr Bates vs the Post Office.” on ITV
Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake told the Commons last night that ministers were seeking to speed up compensation payments and to find a means of overturning convictions en mass. “We have devised some options for resolving the outstanding convictions with much more pace,” he said,
Venella joined the Post Office in 2007 as a network director before becoming chief executive five years later.She had previously began her career at Unilever before working her way up in business at a string of High Street brands including Dixons, Argos and the owner of Premier Inn as well as L’Oréal
