Post Office scandal: Minister says he wants to see those responsible jailed

Kevin Hollinrake said he didn't think there was a "hope in hell" of the Post Office bringing private prosecutions

The minister responsible for the Post Office says he wants to see people jailed over the Horizon IT scandal.

Kevin Hollinrake said that people found to be responsible for the scandal "must be held to account" after the official inquiry reaches a verdict.

He added that he didn't think there was a "hope in hell" of the Post Office bringing private prosecutions.

Hundreds were wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after being falsely accused of stealing money.

There were more than 900 convictions linked to the scandal, with only 93 so far being overturned, after a faulty computer system called Horizon made it look like money was missing from accounts.

The government has pledged to bring in a new law to "swiftly exonerate and compensate victims" of the scandal.

Speaking on the BBC's Any Questions show, Mr Hollinrake said: "If it's individuals, those people can be criminally prosecuted, potentially, and potentially can go to jail.

"I think we'd all like to see that kind of route taken. People must be held to account."

Asked if he wants to see those responsible from the Post Office jailed, he replied: "I absolutely do", adding that it would be the "ultimate deterrent".

More on the Post Office scandal

• Why were hundreds of Post Office workers prosecuted?

• PM backs calls to knight Post Office campaigner

• Post Office lied and threatened BBC over Horizon whistleblower

• Can scheme to quash Post Office convictions work?

The Post Office scandal has been thrust back into the limelight in recent weeks after the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office was broadcast.

An inquiry into the scandal re-started on Thursday, with ex-Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw denying he and colleagues behaved like "mafia gangsters" towards wrongly accused sub-postmasters.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons on Wednesday that those previously convicted in England and Wales would be cleared of wrongdoing and compensated under a new law.

The Scottish government also announced similar plans for those convicted in Scotland, which has a separate legal system.

Downing Street said its aim was to complete the process of overturning the convictions of those affected by the end of 2024.