PUNISH THEM

>> Voters urged to oust Tories by sub-postmasters >> Fury grows at 'Government bid' to delay compo

- JOHN STEVENS

SUB-POSTMASTERS last night urged voters to oust the Tories amid claims the Government tried to delay compensation.

Axed Post Office chief Henry Staunton sparked a fury yesterday by alleging that he was told to stall on payouts to victims of the Horizon scandal after the next election.

Michael Rudkin, whose wife was wrongly convicted, said: "This government needs to be punished at the ballot box. We're now 24 years on. How long is it going to take?" In an explosive interview, Staunton claimed an official ordered him to stall on giving cash to those falsely blamed for computer errors until after the election.

Former National Federation of Sub-postmasters executive officer Michael Rudkin's wife Susan was wrongly convicted of theft after Fujitsu's Horizon system made it appear takings were down.

He said: "Ministers and people in government are slowly strangling and killing sub-postmasters.