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Vicky Harrison
Contracts & Services Manager
Interim Report
POLTD/0607/0108 North Bransholme
Branch Code 174 321 — Janet Louise SKINNER
Branch Loss £59,216.43
This report refers to a cash shortage of £59,216.43 identified at North
Bransholme Post Office on Tuesday 30" May 2006.
North Bransholme is a 4 counter position branch within an independently
owned convenience store. The branch is operated by Temporary
Subpostmisstress Janet Skinner who employs 4 staff, Katherine Ayres,
Theresa Holmes, Colleen Kates and Wendy Lyell.
Rural Support Manager Diane Hoyles was requested to visit the branch by the
cash management team regarding the Overnight Cash Holding (ONCH)
figures reported by North Bransholme. The branch had also failed to return
excess cash despite being requested to do so on several occasions.
Mrs Hoyles visited the branch on Tuesday 30" May 2006, accompanied by her
colleague Julia Stephenson. After explaining the reason for the visit, Mrs
Hoyles was informed by Miss Skinner that there was a shortage in the cash of
around £40,000. Miss Skinner had no explanation for the loss.
An audit took place the following day and was lead by Branch Auditor Paul
Field. The audit confirmed a shortage in the branch of £59,216.43 of which
£58,942.41 was in the cash
On Thursday June 1% 2006, accompanied by my colleague Stephen
Bradshaw, I interviewed Miss Skinner on tape under caution. Miss Skinner
admitted to producing false cash accounts for North Bransholme Post Office
since November 2004. She stated she did this by inflating the £10 and £20
notes to disguise the shortages. Miss Skinner made no admissions to stealing
the money and offered no explanation as why the losses had occurred.
Miss Skinner stated that the losses in the office were poor. To eradicate the
problem, staff were put on individual stocks. The results were favourable until
counter clerk Katherine Ayres had a £1,400 loss in November 2004. An
agreement was made between Miss Skinner and Mrs Ayres whereby Mrs
Ayres would repay the money at £10 or £20 a week. Miss Skinner agreed to
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the £1,400 being added to the cash on hand each week by Mrs Ayres until the
full amount was repaid. Miss Skinner states that to date only £500 of this
amount has been repaid by Mrs Ayres, this was in a lump sum back in
February 2006.
Miss Skinner stated that Mrs Ayres was off sick for 6 months, returning in
December 2005. During this period the balancing had been good and the
branch returned to operating a shared stock unit. It was shortly after
December that the large losses started to appear.
Despite Miss Skinner concerns over Mrs Ayres, she gave her a set of door
and safe keys to the branch in order to open up in the mornings. Miss Skinner
stated that customers were complaining that the branch was not opening on
time so Mrs Ayres, who lives locally, assumed this responsibility. Miss Skinner
stated that as she only worked mornings, Monday to Thursday, another set of
keys was rotated between clerks Colleen Kates and Theresa Holmes.
In trading period 10, covering 22nd December 2005 to 19" January 2006, Miss
Skinner stated there was a shortage of £7,500, this again was covered up by
inflating the cash on hand figures to avoid showing the loss on the accounting
document. This rose to £9,000 in February and in large amounts until the
£59,000 present figure.
Miss Skinner stated that the losses in the branch were declared as cash in
dormant stock unit CC. On trading statement 02 for 26" April to 25" May 2006
an amount of £40,253.85 was declared as cash when in fact there was no
cash present. Miss Skinner believes this was the current loss figure and could
not explain how a further £19,000 had disappeared in 3 working days.
Throughout the interview, Miss Skinner denied stealing any money but admits
to operating the branch with poor procedures and did not try to stop the losses
occurring. She also added that she did not speak to her staff about the losses
or try to find the perpetrator. She admits to falsifying her accounting
documents since November 2004.
To summarise the present position.
> Miss Skinner made full admissions to falsifying her accounting documents
on each and every
occasion since November 2004. This was to conceal the losses
encountered at the branch.
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> Miss Skinner made no admissions to stealing the funds and did not offer
any explanation of
how these losses occurred.
> Miss Skinner did not comply with requests to return excess cash on hand
due to the branch
being low on notes. This was due to holdings being inaccurately recorded
to conceal shortages
within the branch.
»Although Miss Skinner has referred to an employee as a possible
perpetrator, she offered no
evidence to substantiate these claims. Miss Skinner gave this person
added responsibility as a
key holder and greater access to the cash held within the branch.
I now intend to speak to the staff at the branch regarding their involvement at
North Bransholme.
This report is forwarded to update on the current position and assist in any
contractual issues raised as a result of this investigation. A full discipline report
will follow once further enquiries have been completed.
Diane Matthews
Investigation Manager
22nd June 2006
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