THE ‘technical issue’ that prevented Greggs (Echo, March 21) from taking payment demonstrates perfectly how potentially flawed are all IT systems.

The manual till I used for 50 years in the retail trade had a till roll on which I wrote details of a sale, a cash drawer containing change and a bell that rang when the drawer was extracted.

My till was totally reliable and never let me down. In my opinion, all shops should abandon all-singing, all-dancing computer controlled tills and replace them with the sort of till I used.

I’m sure many people reading this letter will think I am some crazy luddite who views the past through rose-coloured spectacles.

In anticipation of this response, I must point out that if all Post Offices had had a till like mine, the Post Office scandal would not have occurred.

Geoffrey Lindley

Clayford Avenue,

Ferndown