A sub-postmaster accused of fraud has welcomed the news that former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has handed back her CBE and apologised for her role in the scandal.

Pauline Stonehouse told GB News: “Definitely, she should have done it before now without a petition being signed.

“Common decency should have brought us to deal with that, she shouldn’t have to be told to do it.”

In a discussion with Martin Daubney, she said: “The mass convictions being quashed definitely needs to happen. As for the compensation, I think they drag the heels far too much and make it more complicated than it needs to be.

“They need to make that simpler and get us all back into a position that’s better than where we currently are.”

She added: “It was horrendous at the time to not know what was going on, wondering where the money was going to.

“The financial stress of my husband and myself, taking money from the business put into the so-called shortages and then seeking help and not getting it, then eventually speaking into an area manager and then be suspended and then being accused of taking money that I didn’t do.

“I got put on anti-depressants by the doctor for a few years. It affected me in a big way, affected my family as well, the stress of going through it all and seeing me being dragged to the papers and it has gone on and on over time with financial worries and not having the usual income.

“This TV series has definitely brought it to the forefront of people’s minds and made the Government step up and take notice.

“Hopefully, we’ll get a resolution sooner rather than later because it’s been dragging on long enough now.”