CRYING SHAME

>>Vennells apologises over Horizon scandal >>Police have made a promise to investigate'

- JOHN STEVENS and LIZZY BUCHAN

PAULA Vennells broke down in tears as she apologised for how the Post Office scandal ruined the lives of hundreds of people.

The company's former boss said in a message to the wrongly prosecuted subpostmasters: "I'm very, very sorry." But campaigner Alan Bates said he has "no sympathy" for Vennells despite her tears.

He added that officers have told him they will probe the scandal.

Bates said he met senior staff at the Metropolitan Police yesterday to discuss possible prosecutions.

He added: "They certainly are going to investigate, I've had that assurance.

"It's something that we've never been certain of until today." In her first day of evidence at the Horizon IT public inquiry, ordained priest Vennells said yesterday she had "made mistakes".

She added she had been unaware of what was going on because she was "too trusting".

She apologised for wrongly telling MPs a decade ago that the Post Office was successful in every court case against subpostmasters.