The Post Office (PO) has claimed there is ‘no evidence’ that the ITV Horizon scandal drama has dented branch trading during a meeting with partnered stores last week.

Recordings of the meeting obtained by RN show PO repeatedly denied calls from retailers to put out a statement urging customers to continue supporting their local branches. The call followed accounts of customers claiming they would boycott PO services due to the Horizon scandal.

Responding to the demand, deputy chief executive Owen Woodley said PO was continuing to ‘trade very strongly’.

He said: “Income you generated through branches was up 8% against our budget and customer sessions – an important measure of customer behaviour, increased 14% week on week, in the very week the drama aired. There is no evidence at the moment that customers are changing their behaviour.”

He added that the PO would not be releasing a statement to avoid “more negative sentiment and publicity”.

Woodley also denied the fallout from the drama was impacting its relationship with potential partners.

He stated: “We’ve got a very proactive conversation going on with a major potential new [parcel] partner, there is not a single ounce of sentiment that they don’t want to do business with us.”

Nick Read said he was ‘stunned and surprised’ by the response to the drama.

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