Coventry North East MP, Bob Ainsworth welcomes the reversal of their previous stance and commitment to machine checks of foreign currency in Post Offices, but wants the Post Office to go further and quickly.

In a letter to Bob Ainsworth, David Mills Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd has agreed to install scanning machines in all Post Offices offering foreign currency exchanges and says other procedures are being kept under review. This follows the case of Mr Nichols from Coventry who faces prosecution in Greece for passing notes he says were bought from the Post office.

While this is welcome there is no time scale proposed for their installation and no commitment to further measures which in Bob Ainsworth’s view should be taken.

Bob Ainsworth has replied to Mr Mills requesting information on the installation timetable and proposed the introduction of further security measures.

Bob Ainsworth says “I welcome the installation of scanning machines in Post Offices; however, I believe that individual staff who deal with transactions should be traceable. Recycling of high denomination notes brought in by other customers should be avoided unless very stringent checks are in place and records of the denominations of notes given out should also be kept”.

“I think after the Nichols case the Post Office need to be able to reassure their customers who rely on their good name when they buy currency”. 

“While these proposals are a big improvement on their initial response, which was to call me irresponsible for criticising their procedures, I am not yet convinced that they have gone as far as they should go”

“I have made the Nichols Family and the Greek authorities aware of the proposed changes, but I have no idea at this stage whether this will help Mr Nichols”.