Post Office 'changed branch Horizon data last year without telling operators'

Post Office executives changed data on the Horizon IT systems used by post office operators without their knowledge as recently as last year, the public inquiry into the scandal has heard.

- Mark Sweney

The inquiry was shown a letter from Calum Greenhow, the chief executive of the National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP) and a post office operator for 22 years, to the Post Office raising the issue in May last year.

“It has come to my attention that Post Office personnel are visiting postmasters, including audits, where area managers/auditors are entering stock values on to Horizon without either the consultation or agreement with the postmaster,” said Greenhow in the letter.

Greenhow added that in one case that he was aware of the post office operator “wasn't even present”.

The inquiry is examining the IT scandal, which saw hundreds of post office operators prosecuted for shortfalls in their accounts based on evidence using the Horizon software, which was later shown to be faulty.

The scandal shot up the public agenda at the start of the year after a drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, was shown on ITV.