Call for Blackpool Post Office operators to help Horizon Inquiry

Post Office operators in Blackpool are being urged to share their experiences to provide crucial evidence for the Inquiry into the Horizon scandal.

The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is an independent public inquiry investigating failings surrounding the Horizon IT system which led to the wrongful prosecution and conviction of sub-postmasters.

Up to 16,000 people across the UK have been contacted by independent research and data analytics firm, YouGov, on behalf of the Inquiry, to anonymously share their experiences of the Post Office.

Every current sub-postmaster in the UK will be asked about their experience working with the Post Office, and applicants under the Post Office’s in-house compensation scheme (the Horizon Shortfall Scheme) will be asked about their experiences of this process.

Findings of the two surveys will be presented as evidence during the Inquiry’s final phase and will inform Inquiry Chair, Sir Wyn Williams’ findings and recommendations.

I encourage anyone working in Blackpool’s Post Offices who have received these surveys to share their experiences and contribute to this important research.

At the beginning of the year we learned about the devastation the Horizon scandal caused for Peter Collins, who was sub-postmaster at Grange Park for 34 years from 1983. Peter made up £19,000 of shortfalls from his own pocket due to the faulty Horizon IT system. It was only after learning about the scandal that he revealed the information to his family – describing the heartache and the shame it had caused him at the time.

There are 19 Post Offices across Blackpool, the vast majority of which are owned by sub-postmasters who will receive the survey.

Announcing the survey, Sir Wyn Williams said: “Human stories are at the heart of this Inquiry. As will be obvious by now, and as I have said from time to time, I have been deeply affected by the accounts of hardship and suffering endured by many.

“I urge all those who are contacted to complete the surveys, and I offer my heartfelt thanks now to all those who take the time and trouble to do so.

Those eligible to take part in the surveys have been contacted via email. Respondents contribute their experiences anonymously and can do so online, or over the phone for those who need reasonable adjustments.

If you have questions about the survey, you can contact the Inquiry Secretariat at posecretariat@postofficehorizoninquiry.org.uk. If you have been impacted by the scandal but have not received a survey you can contribute to the In Your Own Words listening project here.