Bates v Post Office scandal: Penarth post office reputation worries

The programme depicts the scandal and its ongoing impact, which saw more than 700 post office managers wrongly prosecuted for theft and false accounting due to a faulty computer system. 

Since the drama was first broadcast on New Year's Day, some have said they will boycott post offices in protest at the way the victims were treated.

But now Sajaad Yasin, who runs Penarth Post Office in Glebe Street, has reasssured customers his business is run independently, not as a franchise as many Post Offices are.  

“We put a post out thanking our customers who use our independent post office for their support," he said.

The Post Office on Glebe Street is run by an independent post master. Picture: Google (Image: Google)“Since we put out the post, we have had a lot of positive feedback from customers who have come in and said they will support us and are furious with the post office.”

Mr Yasin has met with Cardiff and Penarth MP Stephen Doughty to discuss his concerns.

“I have had a meeting with our MP to raise these issues, and he told me he is going to get in touch with the other MPs across the country and nationwide like other postmasters," he said.

“He is also going to speak to other senior politicians and try to arrange a meeting up in Westminster.”

He told the Penarth Times the importance of the post office and what it means to him and the community.

Stephen Doughty MP (L) with postmaster Sajaad Yasin and Councillor Ruba Sivagnanam (Image: Sajaad Yasin)

He added: “We are here for the community and this is what I am still in this position of financially it's no longer liable now.

“It is more for our customers and the friendships we have built up in the area and with the banks shutting we offer more services.

“We are trying to build a business yet we want to raise awareness that we do not get paid by a salary we get paid by transactions.”

Stephen Doughty, MP for Cardiff and Penarth, and Post Office was approached for comment