MP speaks up in Parliament for Liversedge woman caught up in Post Office scandal

Alison Hall pictured outside the Post Office, Halifax Road, Liversedge

Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater has raised the plight of a Liversedge postmistress in a House of Commons debate on the Post Office IT scandal that has been described as the "worst miscarriage of justice in British history".

A public inquiry is taking place after dozens of former sub-postmasters were convicted and even jailed for theft, fraud and false accounting. Their convictions have since been quashed at the High Court.

Among those exonerated was Alison Hall, 52, of Liversedge, who was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after admitting false accounting in 2011.

Speaking in Parliament, Ms Leadbeater described the impact it has had on the local community, particularly in Roberttown, which lost its chance to have a sub-post office of its own.

She said: “I recently met with a former postmistress in my constituency, Alison Hall, and her husband Richard.

"They have suffered unbelievable stress and financial hardship as a result of this scandal, and as well as losing their existing business in Hightown were also forced to abandon plans to open a new Post Office in Roberttown.

"So will the Minister agree with me that alongside the personal trauma this scandal has been for so many it has also had a seriously detrimental impact on communities like mine in Batley and Spen?"

In reply, Paul Scully, the Minister for Small Business, said: “My heart goes out to Alison and Richard.”

He added: “The Post Office offers not just economic value, having more branches than banks and building societies put together, but social value bringing communities together.”