'So many people have died without seeing justice'

PEOPLE in the North East who had their lives destroyed by the Horizon IT scandal have reacted to the first Post Office inquiry report.

- NICOLE GOODWIN

The first tranche of the inquiry's final report laid bare the human impact of the Horizon scandal.

Chairman Sir Wyn Williams concluded that at least 59 people who experienced problems with the Post Office's Horizon IT system contemplated suicide with 10 attempting to take their own lives. He added that there was a “real possibility” 13 people took their own lives as a result of the suffering they endured during the scandal.

Marion Holmes, the wife of former postmaster Peter Holmes, who died of a brain tumour five years before his name was cleared, said: “I know a lot of people have been really heavily affected by this and I think Sir Wyn said there had been 13 died from suicide. That's a horrible statistic to link to anything, particularly something like this.”

Sir Wyn said the human impact of the Horizon saga “should be placed at the forefront” of his final report and it was important to publish his conclusions on that issue as soon as possible.