More criminal suspects in Horizon scandal as police request funding

Police investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal are considering bringing corporate manslaughter charges. ITV News Correspondent Sejal Karia explains

Report by ITV News Investigation Producer Isabel Alderson-Blench

The police investigation into the Post Office Horizon scandal has expanded its list of suspects and warned that it could face delays if further funding is not secured.

In a briefing with sub-postmasters on Sunday, the officers in charge of Operation Olympos said the total persons of interest in the investigation had reached 53, and the number of suspects was now eight.

Five of the suspects have been interviewed under caution. The police have not disclosed the names of any suspects.

The police officers leading the investigation, Commander Stephen Clayman and Senior Investigating Officer Mick Norman, told victims that the police operation had requested further funding from the Home Office, and without this, they could face delays.

The Post Office has now confirmed it “will not seek to enforce any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)” signed by sub-postmasters as part of the scandal, and the police encouraged any victims who had signed an NDA and had not yet come forward to do so.

The police also told sub-postmasters that they were seeking advice from the Crown Prosecution Service on corporate and gross negligence manslaughter charges.

Previously, police said they were “not ruling out” corporate manslaughter charges. However, they confirmed that perjury and perverting the course of justice remain the key charges they are pursuing.

ITV News also understands that from 2027, the police will be expanding the investigation to look at the role Post Office and Fujitsu executives played in the scandal.

More than 100 officers are working on the investigation, made up of regional teams across the UK. The volume of documents being reviewed by the police has now reached 7.5 million.

Any potential criminal trials are not expected to take place until 2028 or 2029.

Freedom of Information requests by ITV News reveal that so far, the police investigation has run up costs of more than £7 million, with an additional £1.3 million provided via special grants from the Home Office.

The projected police spend for 2025/26 is around £10 million, and it is understood that the funding being requested from the Home Office is in addition to this.

Lee Castleton is a former sub-postmaster and one of those who attended the police briefing call.

Mr Castleton was sued by the Post Office for over £300,000 and made bankrupt after the Horizon system at his Post Office in North Yorkshire showed shortfalls of £25,000, which he refused to pay back.

He told ITV News he was feeling “upbeat” after hearing the developments in the police investigation.

“It was as expected. It takes time to unravel [millions] of documents and really understand why things happened.

“No one must be allowed to walk away from terrible wrongdoing. We must push this through to find those accountable. We must never give in.”

Speaking to ITV News about the request for further funding, Darren Jones MP – the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister – said: “Of course, the government is committed to justice for victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal.”

“That’s why we have been increasing the amount of money in the budget for compensation payments, accelerating compensation payments since we came into government.

“Of course [the police] need to be able to do their work.”

The Post Office Horizon scandal is the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history. Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.

A total of 236 sub-postmasters were sent to prison, and the total number of victims is estimated to be more than 10,000.

A Post Office spokesperson said, “We would like to reiterate an unequivocal apology to every single person impacted by the Horizon Scandal… We continue to fully support the police’s investigations and engage transparently with their requests.”