Prosecutions of sub postmasters by the Department for Work and Pensions could be “tainted” as Sky News reveals officials worked with now discredited Post Office investigators to secure convictions.

Around 100 prosecutions of Post Office staff were led by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) between 2001 and 2006.

It is understood that these usually involved the cashing in of stolen order books.

The Post Office itself wrongly prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters between 1999 and 2015 – based on evidence from the faulty Horizon accounting system.

The role of government

A Sky News investigation, however, has discovered that information was shared between Post Office investigation teams and the DWP.

Chair of the Justice Select Committee, Sir Robert Neill KC, said as a result DWP convictions “need to be looked at”.

“I hadn’t been aware of that, for example, there may have been material in the DWP case as a result of joint investigations – which suggests a disclosure failure,” he added.

“I think that’s the area they need to look at if we are saying their approach was tainted from the beginning – in the way the investigators adopted things – then joint operations I suspect would be just as tainted arguably as something where it has been the Post Office on its own.”

What was known?

A 2003 DWP report into fraud describes “joint working” and the “sharing of information” with the Post Office.

It also outlines a “Fraud Prevention Board” established by the DWP and Royal Mail Group plc which includes “the exchange of information that directly assists fraud prevention and investigations”.

In addition, separately, a 2003 letter seen by Sky News also indicates a connection between DWP and Post Office investigations.

The letter, from the then post affairs minister Stephen Timms, references the case of Roger Allen, a sub-postmaster from Norwich.

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It states: “Subsequent investigations by the police, the Post Office Investigation Department and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) led to a prosecution by DWP…”

Roger Allen was convicted in 2004 of stealing pension payments and was sentenced to six months in prison. He died in March of this year.

Mr Allen had pleaded guilty to spare his wife – after his lawyer told him in a letter that there had been “an indication from the Crown that they may discontinue the proceedings against Mrs Allen were you minded to plead guilty”.

Despite the Criminal Cases Review Commission deciding Mr Allen had grounds to appeal against his conviction – it was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2021.

DWP prosecutions are not covered in upcoming government legislation that will overturn Post Office convictions.

Fighting to clear names

Keren Simpson, Roger’s daughter, has vowed to fight to clear his name posthumously.

She describes her father as a “proud” and “honest” man who “couldn’t face or deal” with the fact his conviction would not be overturned.

She says “in the end he obviously gave up” and there is “very little surviving evidence” because of the passage of time.

“He’s the innocent one,” Keren states. “I don’t see why he’s got to try and prove it. They have got to try and prove it, and show what evidence they actually had on my dad.

“Because the Department of Work and Pensions have put a statement out saying there was surveillance and witness testimonies and physical evidence to show it.

“Show me it.”

Investigation failures?

Sky News has also seen documents that suggest failures by DWP investigators in a different case in the 2000s.

It involved a sub-postmaster who decided to plead not guilty and was acquitted of stealing by a jury.

In one extract it says a “senior investigating officer” was “willing to admit in open court that (they) had been neglectful in (their) duty in securing evidence”.

Another document appears to show a failure to review transaction logs used as evidence against the sub-postmaster.

Some logs appear to show that the accused did not cash the “dockets”, used to collect pension payments.

Other transaction logs indicate the sub-postmaster was not present at a particular branch when the theft was alleged to have occurred.

Chris Head, former sub-postmaster and a campaigner for others, has also seen the documents and says they point to a “deeply flawed” DWP investigation.

“…they failed to obtain all transaction logs for the entirety of this case, but the ones that they have, they have they clearly haven’t looked at.”

He believes there are “more cases out there” which could be “part of a miscarriage of justice”.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “We do not recognise these claims.

“DWP investigates offences against the welfare system to protect taxpayers’ money, and between 2001 and 2006 a small number of Post Office staff were convicted for welfare-related fraud.

“These cases involved complex investigations and were backed by evidence including filmed surveillance, stolen benefit books and witness statements – they did not rely on Horizon evidence, and this has been accepted by the Court of Appeal.”

The Post Office says it “continues to help other prosecuting authorities to ensure that they have every assistance in taking their work forward”.

“This includes sharing all the information we have in relation to prosecutions which have been brought by other prosecutors.”

Meanwhile, Lord Sikka has tabled an amendment in the House of Lords to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to include all DWP convictions.

An outbreak of a waterborne disease in Devon has prompted urgent warnings for residents to boil their tap water. 

At least 22 cases of cryptosporidiosis disease have been confirmed in and around the town of Brixham in South West England.

But what is the parasite that is making people sick, what are the symptoms of being infected with it and how serious can it be?

What is cryptosporidiosis disease?

Cryptosporidiosis is the disease caused by the parasite cryptosporidium.

Often shortened to crypto, infections can be caused by drinking contaminated water or swallowing contaminated water in swimming pools or streams.

It can also be acquired through contact with the faeces of infected animals or humans.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis include:

• profuse watery diarrhoea
• stomach pains
• nausea or vomiting
• low-grade fever
• loss of appetite

How long does it last?

Most people develop symptoms within one to 12 days of picking up the parasite.

Symptoms usually last for about two weeks, but can last up to six weeks or longer when the immune system is not working properly.

During the illness, you might think you are getting better but the illness returns a couple of days later before you fully recover.

How serious is it?

Most people recover, but in people with severely weakened immune systems it can cause severe disease and can be fatal.

Serious cases and death used to be more common, according to Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

This is because before effective antiretroviral treatments were introduced for HIV/AIDS, people living with these illnesses would not recover if they picked up cryptosporidiosis.

Who is most at risk of serious illness?

People with weak immune systems are at greater risk of serious illness. This includes:

• people on some immunosuppressive drugs, for example cancer or transplant patients
• people with untreated HIV/AIDS
• malnourished children

Does it need treatment?

There is no specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis.

It important to drink plenty of fluids as diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration, according to advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

You might also want to talk to a pharmacist about oral rehydration sachets to help replace the sugar, salts and minerals the body has lost.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Torbay’s Director of Public Health, said anyone with “severe symptoms like bloody diarrhoea” should contact NHS 111 or their GP.

Severe cases may require hospital treatment.

How do you know if you have crypto?

The symptoms of crypto are similar to other stomach bugs, so the only way to know for sure if you have it is for your doctor to send a sample of your faeces to be tested in a laboratory.

Read more:
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How can you stop the illness spreading?

If you are ill, stay away from nursery, school or work while you have symptoms, and for at least 48 hours after they stop.

You should also avoid swimming for two weeks after being unwell.

You should not prepare food for anyone else until 48 hours after diarrhoea has stopped.

Make sure you’re using good handwashing practices too, washing your hands thoroughly when handling food and after using the toilet.

The UKHSA also advises washing bedding and towels on the hottest possible cycle.

More than two dozen staff at a prison in Kent were “deliberately poisoned” with the drug spice, a union has said.

Workers were allegedly given the narcotic by “prisoners working in the staff canteen” at HMP Swaleside in Kent, the Criminal Justice Workers Union said.

Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid, can cause dizziness, breathing difficulties, chest pain, seizures and paranoia, according to the NHS website.

Some 25 staff were “poisoned” at the men’s high-security jail, union official Andy Hamlin said.

Nine ambulances attended and an emergency incident unit was set up “within the establishment”, Mr Hamlin added.

Five people were taken to hospital last week, he said, although South East Coast Ambulance Service said three had needed hospital treatment.

While it is not unusual for prisoners to be working in staff canteens, they are expected to be “low-risk”, Mr Hamlin commented.

That “clearly hasn’t happened in this case”, he added, and is calling for a “full investigation”.

HM Prison and Probation Service “must do more to protect the health and safety of its staff”, he said.

It is understood that none of the those affected were in a critical condition and all have since been discharged from hospital.

Read more:
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A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “A number of staff were taken ill following an incident at HMP Swaleside last week but have all now returned to work.

“There is an ongoing investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

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A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said: “I can confirm that South East Coast Ambulance responded to a medical incident at HMP Swaleside in Eastchurch, Sheerness, after being called at approximately 2.10pm on Thursday 9 May.

“Ambulance crews attended and worked alongside the prison medical team to assess and treat a number of patients at the scene before three were taken by ambulance to hospital for further checks.”

Kent Police said officers attended to assist the ambulance service.