UKG100008503
UKG100008503
Post Office Group Litigation
Confidential and privileged information WOMBLE
BOND
DICKINSON
Elizabeth Stockdale
Branch: Sandsacre Post Office® Branch, Wheatley Drive, Bridlington, East Yorkshire,
YO16 6TN
Dates of service: 8 May 2014 to 16 September 2016
Loss claimed: At least £65,000 for (wrongly) repaid shortfalls and loss of investment / earnings
Contract model: Network Transformation Contract (Local Post Office® Branch, On Site Variant,
Post Office Limited Cash)
Background:
Ms Stockdale operated the Sandsacre Post Office Branch from 8 May 2014.
She alleges that the first shortfall she suffered took place shortly after opening while a Post Office trainer
was providing support in branch. Post Office's position is that this is incorrect. Mrs Stockdale
subsequently declared (and partly repaid) further shortfalls during the period October 2014 to August
2015. She then continued to experience shortfalls after this date but did not declare them to Post Office.
Eight months later, on 27 April 2016, Ms Stockdale declared the further shortfalls, totalling at that point
£18,891.47. The growing shortfalls in the Branch prompted Post Office to audit the Branch. An audit was
carried out on 13 May 2016 and identified an undeclared shortfall of cash and stock in the sum of
£7,917.09, in addition to the sums that were already outstanding before the audit. In total, including sums
declared on 27 April 2016, the further shortfall found at audit, and sums outstanding before these events,
there was a total shortfall of £28,693.84.
Ms Stockdale was suspended by Post Office on the day of the audit. After an investigation, her contract
was terminated by Post Office for breach of contract on 16 September 2016.
Key allegations made:
Ms Stockdale claims, in addition to the generic complaints made by all Claimants, that:
She had no confidence that Post Office would assist her to discover the reason for apparent
shortfalls so she stopped declaring them and kept paper records instead.
She was never able to identify the cause of the shortfalls. Although she requested help from
Post Office numerous times, this was never forthcoming.
Post Office staff visited her branch numerous times following shortfall declarations however they
could never identify the cause of the shortfall.
Reason for termination:
The undeclared loss found at the audit indicated that Ms Stockdale had been falsifying her
accounts to conceal the loss. Ms Stockdale admitted false accounting in meetings and calls with
Post Office, and at a formal interview on 19 August 2016.
Ms Stockdale's contract was terminated on 16 September 2016 due to falsification of her
accounts, failing to act honestly, and failing to pay sums due to Post Office by the due date, in
breach of her contract.
AC_151354657_3