THE chairman of the Post Office has been sacked amid the fallout from the Horizon IT scandal.

       Henry Staunton, who had been in the position only for a year, was fired by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch yesterday.

       1

       Henry Staunton was fired by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch yesterday Credit: Sky

       Sources said there had been tension between the chairman and the government over plans to force through legislation to compensate quickly the wrongly convicted sub-postmasters.

       There had also reportedly been disagreements over who to appoint as the new senior independent director.

       Ms Badenoch said: “The Post Office is rightfully under a heightened level of scrutiny at this time.

       "With that in mind, I felt there was a need for new leadership and we have parted ways with mutual consent.”

       Read More on UK News THANK YOU Kind Sun readers raise ￡10k for brave Mercy, 5, who needs brain cancer treatment

       WAR ON WOKE Labour's idea to teach 'white privilege' could spark conflict in UK classrooms

       Her department said he had been dismissed and an interim chairman would be appointed shortly.

       A spokesman added: “It is important the Post Office continues the essential work to implement the -necessary operational and cultural changes needed within the business.”

       Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly convicted of stealing after the Post Office’s defective Horizon accounting system made it appear that cash was missing at branches.

       The Post Office also forced at least 4,000 branch managers to pay back cash based on the flawed data.

       Most read in The Sun

       EL OF A MISTAKE I cheated on Ellie Leach but I want her in my life, says Strictly star's ex

       GIVEN THE BOOT Skint Pennant will be kicked out of home after split from TV star Jess

       TOWER INFERNO Fears 4-storey building could COLLAPSE as major blaze sparks huge evacuation

       DUTCH DARTS MASTERS Heartbreak for Luke Littler as he LOSES to Michael van Gerwen in final

       Some victims were sent to prison or financially ruined, others were shunned by their communities.

       Some took their own lives, others died before their convictions were overturned and their names were cleared.

       Reports have suggested that Post Office bosses plotted to get rid of forensic accountants who had highlighted how unreliable Horizon was.

       Details of the alleged decision are included in minutes from a 2014 meeting obtained by the BBC.

       An independent public statutory inquiry is gathering information about the implementation and the failings of the Horizon IT system.