Horizon Post Office scandal tormented Norwich sub-postmaster

Roger Allen, who lived in Rackheath with his wife Julie, believed he was one of more than 900 sub-postmasters accused of stealing money because of incorrect information from the highly controversial Horizon computer system.

Mr Allen, a former underwriter of 30 years, and his wife bought the Post Office business in St Johns Close, off Hall Road in Lakenham, in 1994.

Keren Simpson, 46, currently lives in Australia but is back for her father's funeral (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)

Keren Simpson, one of Mr Allen's daughters who helped around the shop while studying, said: "He really enjoyed it to begin with.

"It helped him create job security and he liked that he was providing a service for people.

"This was before the Horizon system was introduced in early 2000 and that's when things changed.

"He had one day's training on how to use it - this was when computers weren't around like they are today - so at 58 years old it was a lot.

"It caused him a lot of stress and contributed to his collapse."

Roger Allen, died peacefully at home on March 9 (Image: Keren Simpson)

In August 2000 Mr Allen collapsed at home, suffering an aortic aneurysm, which saw him in intensive care for two weeks and out of work for two months.

Although Mr Allen returned to work part-time he soon put the business up for sale - but without success.

So it was a relief when the Post Office confirmed it was shutting the branch and offered Mr Allen £70,000 to close, which he accepted.

However, Mr Allen would "never see it" after police arrived at the business in November 2002.

Keren continued: "Police came in when it was just mum and dad were there and they were locking up.

"They were both arrested, the Post Office was raided, locked and they were never allowed back in.

"For around six hours they were interrogated.

Keren said she her father was accused of fraud for £37,000 by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)

"The Post Office got what they wanted - it closed and it didn't have to pay my dad.

"The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), who were accusing him, used a pile of benefit books which they could have got from anywhere and also used his ill health against him, saying he was bitter because the Post Office wouldn't let him leave and he had to sell the business first.

"He was accused of a £37,000 fraud but we were told if he pleaded guilty to theft then the fraud charges would be dropped, he would likely get a suspended sentence and most importantly, mum wouldn't be charged for anything - so that's why he did it - to save mum."

Instead of a suspended sentence, Mr Allen was sentenced to six months in prison.

Keren, who has flown home from Australia ahead of her dad's funeral, said: "We were gobsmacked - dad collapsed and my sister ran out crying, she was inconsolable.

"He was so quiet whenever we saw him and I've blocked a lot of the visits out because it's the most traumatic thing I've ever had to do."

The St Johns Close post office in Lakenham, pictured in January 2003 (Image: Newsquest)

More than 700 people signed a petition in January 2003 following the mysterious closure of the St Johns Close post office in Lakenham, as reported by the Evening News (Image: Newsquest)

In 2018 Mr Allen suffered a stroke and lost movement in one of his arms and had trouble walking.

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In 2019 it was revealed the Horizon system was proven to be faulty, so Mr Allen and his family applied to have his name cleared at the Court of Appeal in 2021.

Only his case and one other was contested by the Post Office due to those being prosecuted by the DWP. Without any physical evidence proving it was the Horizon system to blame his appeal failed.

Keren added: "He had depression and anxiety after it all - his mental health deteriorated before his death.

"He died peacefully at home on March 9 - which the report said was from the effects of the stroke and deterioration."

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Just 11 days after Mr Allen had died, correspondence from the Post Office arrived offering a paltry £3,356.92 compensation for suspending him without pay in 2002.

Keren added: "It's an embarrassment they think this money will make everything right.

"Dad was a loyal, passionate, man who never deserved any of this."

Check back to this website later this week for more on Keren and her family's fight to clear her father's name.

'Compelling evidence'

The DWP said it prosecuted around 100 Post Office staff between 2001 and 2006 relating to benefit fraud before the Crown Prosecution Service took over in 2012.

A spokesman for the department said: "DWP investigates offences against the welfare system to protect taxpayers' money and between 2001 and 2006 a small number of Post Office staff were convicted for welfare-related fraud offences, mostly involving cashing in stolen benefit order books.

Roger Allen was accused by the DWP of fraud of £37,000 (Image: Keren Simpson)

"These criminal cases followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence, including filmed surveillance, examination of stolen cashed orders and witness statements.

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"The Court of Appeal refused Mr Allen’s appeal based on the compelling evidence presented."

That 2021 judgement said there was "very little by way of surviving paperwork", with a panel of three judges "wholly unpersuaded" that Mr Allen's was a "Horizon case".

The Horizon scandal

A public inquiry began in February 2021 and has heard evidence from Post Office and Fujitsu employees - which developed the Horizon system.

It resumed last week, with campaigner Alan Bates the first to appear - whose character was played by Toby Jones in the ITV dramatisation which aired in January and sparked outrage across the country.

This phase of the inquiry is expected to last several weeks, with former Post Office chief executives Paula Vennells and Adam Crozier giving evidence.

Keren admitted that she has blocked out a lot of the traumatic visits to the prison (Image: Sonya Duncan, Newsquest)

The inquiry will also hear from Lord Arbuthnot, who is a member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, as well as several politicians who have overseen the work of the Post Office.

There was new legislation introduced on March 13 by the government to speed up clearing victims' names and paying compensation.

The legislation is expected to clear the majority of victims in England and Wales by the end of July.