{"id":6504,"date":"2022-02-21T12:34:36","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T12:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/2022\/02\/21\/day-one-they-knew-it-was-no-good-former-sub-postmaster-was-victim-post-office-horizon\/"},"modified":"2022-02-21T12:34:36","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T12:34:36","slug":"day-one-they-knew-it-was-no-good-former-sub-postmaster-was-victim-post-office-horizon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/day-one-they-knew-it-was-no-good-former-sub-postmaster-was-victim-post-office-horizon\/","title":{"rendered":"‘From day one they knew it was no good’: former sub-postmaster was a victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between 2000 and 2014, over 700 sub-postmasters lost their jobs, faced fines and prosecutions over a flaws in an accounting software system.<\/p>\n

Some faced jail, countless others went bankrupt trying to repay money they did not owe, and others took their own lives.<\/p>\n

\"Post
Over 700 sub-postmasters lost their jobs over flaws in the Horizon accounting software system<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Amongst those effected was former sub-postmaster Tom Hedges.<\/p>\n

He received a seven-month suspended sentence for theft and false accounting and was ordered to pay \u00a31,000 costs.<\/p>\n

Tom and wife Carol ran the Hogsthorpe Post Office, eight miles from Skegness.<\/p>\n

Tom told NQ how important they were in the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both loved running that Post Office. We were sort of the centre of the village,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We were seen as the font of all knowledge. People used to come and talk to us about all weird and wonderful things.<\/p>\n

“If a dog got loose in the village, they would come to us. If they had a problem with getting on the electoral role or something, I\u2019d help. We loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Former
Tom and Carol ‘loved running that Post Office. We were sort of the centre of the village’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The faulty Horizon system incorrectly showed shortfalls of money at their Post Office branch.<\/p>\n

Tom realised the issue and raised his concerns but felt ignored.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody would acknowledge that there was anything wrong. I just felt let down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

 I felt if I banged on long and hard enough somebody would take notice, but they never did<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Tom worked for the Post Office five years before the Horizon system. At that time everything had carbon copies of transactions.<\/p>\n

Tom explained: \u201cIf there was a problem you could go back and there was a copy. Once it went online with Horizon, you pressed a button and it was gone, you couldn\u2019t check.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Tom’s appeal hearing the lawyers\u2019 acquired minutes from Post Office board meetings from spring 1999, just months before the official launch of Horizon software.<\/p>\n

Fujitsu, Horizons designers, were asked about the system’s progress.<\/p>\n

Tom tells me their response was that \u201cit\u2019s full of bugs”.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cSo the Post Office said, \u2018fix them  and come back to us\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoll on a month or two, another board meeting, \u2018How\u2019s it going Fujitsu?\u2019 the answer, \u2018well, we have fixed half of them\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conclusion of the meeting was, we\u2019re launching anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, from day one they knew it was no good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Post Office lawyers are being investigated by industry watchdogs as the public inquiry continues.<\/p>\n

\n

Amazing event last night launching the Manchester Innocent Project. Huge thanks to @lemnsissay<\/a> for opening the event. Also, @nickwallis<\/a> + Peter and Tom who spoke about their experiences of #PostOfficeScandal<\/a>. It was an emotional presentation @InnocenceMCR<\/a> @law_uom<\/a> @uomhums<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/Xvmegv0VPC<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\u2014 UoM School of Social Sciences (@uomsoss) February 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n