Ex-Post Office CEO Paula Vennells formally stripped of CBE after Horizon scandal

The former boss of the Post Office has been formally stripped of her CBE after the Horizon scandal.

Paula Vennells previously promised she would hand back her CBE, which she was appointed in December 2018, after an online petition calling for her to return the honour reached 1.2 million signatures.

During her tenure as chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, the company denied there was an issue with its Horizon IT system after hundreds of subpostmasters were shown to have a shortfall in their accounts.

The error in the system led to more than 700 Post Office branch managers being wrongly convicted between 1999 and 2015. A subsequent High Court case ruling in 2019 deemed the software as unreliable, prompting a public inquiry which is ongoing.

In a statement on the Cabinet Office’s website on Friday afternoon, Ms Vennells is listed alongside several other individuals who have had their honours stripped by the King.

Under the reason for forfeiture, it reads: “Bringing the honours system into disrepute.”

Last month, Ms Vennells said in a statement that she had returned her CBE with “immediate effect” after the online campaign.

In a statement issued on January 9, she 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.

“I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

“I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the Inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.”

Convicted subpostmasters said at the time they were “glad” the former boss would give back the honour.

Yesterday, the Government announced plans to set out new legislation to clear the names of those who were wrongly convicted in the scandal.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated.