An Post Sacks Local Post-Mistress For Being Robbed

A post-mistress, who was the victim of a terrifying armed robbery last year, has been sacked by An Post for failing to follow security procedures.

The company also demanded she pay them back €80,000 of the money stolen.

Bernie Moore has run the post office in Carrigans in County Donegal for 30 years.

She says she still has nightmares about the day in February 2009, when two raiders put a gun to her head and robbed more than €100,000 from her safe.

But her world was shattered in January of this year, when An Post told her that her contract was being terminated.

She appealed the decision, and while the company is no longer pursuing her for any money, it is insisting it will appoint someone new to run the post office in September.

It's a devastating blow to Bernie Moore, who says the post office was "her life".

"I've been here since I was 16," she said, "This isn't just a job to me. I have a great relationship with all my customers...it's like taking me away from my family."

Bernie says the decision has left her devastated and fearful.

"I'm sitting around waiting for a miracle. Because my husband has no work, I was the main bread-winner, and we have three young girls in school. We have a mortgage. I'm just devastated...absolutely... I can't even put into words how I'm feeling."

An Post said it did not want to comment on individual cases, but it confirmed it was terminating the contract because of "an ongoing failure to implement basic security procedures.

"These security measures are in place for the protection of post office staff and customers. Failing to implement these measures puts all post office staff and customers at risk," the company said in a statement.

But Bernie says she was so terrified during the raid, she did not have a chance to react.

"When you have three men, and a gun, what security procedures have you?" she said,

"I couldn't even get near the panic button, I was lying on the floor."

A petition has been signed by 700 local people in support of the postmistress.

But An Post has already advertised for a replacement postmaster to take over on September 1.