Post Office Inquiry – live: Paula Vennells escorted by police as she arrives to testify over Horizon scandal

Former subpostmaster Seema Misra – who was jailed in 2010 while pregnant after being accused of stealing £74,000 at her branch in Surrey – has also called on Paula Vennells to “speak truth”.

Asked what she would say to Ms Vennells, Ms Misra told the PA news agency outside Aldwych House on Wednesday: “Please, for god’s sake, speak truth. That’s what we all deserve, we’ve been fighting such a long time... we want to know exactly what happened.”

She said she “of course” feels strongly about what Ms Vennells is going to tell the inquiry, adding: “We’ve heard her name so many times.”

Ms Misra said that no matter what happens, “we won’t give up”.

Former Post Office company seretary Alwen Lyons has been asked whether she will also hand back the OBE she received in 2018, after Paula Vennells offered to do so earlier this year.

Ms Lyons was questioned by Channel 4 chief correspondent Alex Thomson as she left the Horizon inquiry yesterday afternoon.

Paula Vennells arrived at 7.45am and did not answer any questions as she walked a short distance up to the venue, escorted by police.

Her evidence is expected to start at 10am.

Former subpostmaster Lee Castleton – who was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle over a false £25,000 shortfall at his branch in 2004 – said he is “really looking forward” to hearing Paula Vennells’ evidence.

“I’m really looking forward to listen to what she has to say,” he told the PA news agency outside Aldwych House. “It’s a good platform for her to finally speak. She’s not been able to, for whatever reason, speak for all these years. I think it’s important that she is listened to and heard and then we can all judge that.”

Mr Castleton said he was hoping to hear “the truth”, adding: “Let’s hear what, why and when, and who - who was involved in those decisions, why those decisions were made. And let’s listen to the other side of what we’ve heard already, which is the impact of those decisions, to hear what the reasons for those decisions were.”

Asked what message he would send to Ms Vennells if he could, Mr Castleton said: “This is your chance to put it out there. The world’s listening, if you like. Do what you feel is right.”

Today will likely prove to be the first of three explosive days at the Post Office inquiry, as Paula Vennells is questioned for the first time over the Horizon scandal.

Subpostmasters will be watching closely as the former Post Office boss faces questions over her role in the scandal which saw hundreds of Post Office staff wrongly prosecuted over bugs which made it appear that money at their branches was missing.

Ms Vennells has not yet spoken in detail about her role in the scandal, but previously apologised for the “devastation caused to subpostmasters and their families”.

She is expected be quizzed on her knowledge of the ability to remotely access the Horizon system – and whether she believed there were any miscarriages of justice during her tenure.

Paula Vennells has arrived at Aldwych House to give evidence at the Post Office inquiry.

Police officers had previously asked media to ensure there was a clear path for Paula Vennells to enter the building.

But she was surrounded by press as she exited a car a short way from the venue and was eventually escorted by police.

The former Post Office boss is “heading into a corner where there is no way out” as she is set to give evidence at the Horizon IT inquiry, a fomer subpostmistress said.

Jo Hamilton, who was prosecuted after being falsely accused of stealing £36,000 from the company, said former Post Office chief exectuive Paula Vennells should apologise and come clean about the scandal.

Ms Vennells is set to give evidence to the probe on Wednesday but was said to believe there had been no miscarriages of justice – of which more than 700 people were affected by when handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015.

“You can fight all you like, the documents are there - but eventually she’s heading into the corner where there’s no way out,” Ms Hamilton said.

My colleague Alexander Butler has more in this report:

In case you missed it on Sunday, new polling suggests that the Post Office has plummeted from its position as Britain’s sixth-most-trusted financial, banking and insurance brand to 135th in the space of just 12 months amid public outcry over the Horizon IT scandal.

The company is now at risk of losing a third of its “heartland” older customer base, the study found, with the number of over-50s considering using Post Office services falling from 60 to 40 per cent in less than a year.

Trust in the Post Office as a whole fell to 69 per cent in April, down from 83 per cent the previous year, according to polling by Savanta seen exclusively by The Independent.

Paula Vennells faced heavy criticism over her handling of the Horizon affair, finally stepping down from her role as Post Office chief executive in February 2019.

Questions have been raised over the timing of her departure – with legal cases brought by subpostmasters such as lead campaigner Alan Bates being tried around the same time.

In the face of mounting pressure over the Horizon scandal, and a petition which attracted more than 1.2 million signatures, Ms Vennells handed back her CBE earlier this year.

She has since also quit boardroom roles at retailers Morrisons and Dunelm as subpostmasters began having their convictions overturned. She also stepped back from her regular church duties.

Ms Vennells, likewise, stepped down from her role as chairwoman of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in 2021, having taking on the job in April 2019 soon after leaving the Post Office.