Post Office inquiry ends for ‘superfans’ gripped by the scandal | Global News Avenue

People not connected to the Post Office told the BBC how they were watching with rapt attention the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.

The show was a near-box-office hit, with more than 20 million views on YouTube, thanks in no small part to ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office , the show brought the scandal to wider public attention.

This is a story about the working lives of ordinary people who were victims of faulty IT systems, with disastrous consequences. Some were financially ruined, others were imprisoned. Some died waiting for justice.

The deputy postmaster’s plight resonates with many, with some “superfans” keen to follow every step of the investigation online and in person.

These ‘super fans’ tell the BBC what fascinates them and what they now hope will happen when the inquiry is concluded 225 days of hearings involving 298 witnesses.

Anthony Abdool believes he is one of the few “super fans” who has not seen the ITV drama. Instead, he heard about the scandal on the news and would watch the online investigation at home, finding it “moving and outrageous.”

“The more they get involved, the angrier I get,” Anthony said.

That’s when he decided to attend and took time off to go. Anthony, a freelance advertising copywriter, said he was “very lucky” that his boss allowed him to take a total of nine paid days off.

His colleagues also supported his decision to participate and regularly asked him for updates.

“I think it reflects the broader emphasis on investigations and I can’t think of anything that would allow me to unite the public in this way.”

Anthony would post on X during the investigation and make friends online with others who were interested in the story. He said he was interested to see if they wanted to continue being “Twitter partners, or if we’ve reached the end of the journey.”

Now that the investigation is over, he says, “Well, I gotta get back to work!”

Isabella Thomas, 19, took part in the summer week work experience survey.

“I am truly honored to be among so many incredible people who work hard to ensure that justice is served to those who deserve it,” said the second-year law and political science student.

scandalMore than 900 deputy postmasters have been prosecuted over erroneous information in Horizon’s computer systems, in what has been described as the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice.

“I was so inspired by the experience that I chose a module called ‘Miscarriages of Justice’ for my degree this year.”

After attending the inquiry in June, she continued to watch online.

She said she was awed by the bravery of deputy postmasters, many of whom “have lost their homes, jobs, freedoms and even lives to continue fighting for themselves and others”.

Isabella is currently following other investigations into injustices but still believes the “work is far from done” when it comes to seeking justice for the deputy postmaster general.

Carrie, 63, first heard about the Post Office scandal in the news before watching the ITV drama.

“When I realized there were daily queries available on YouTube, I was off! I was on holiday last February and found myself sitting on the beach with headphones on listening to the deputy postmaster’s personal narrative.”

She also listened to many of the Fujitsu engineers responsible for Horizon because she wanted to learn more about bugs and bugs in the software.

“I became kind of obsessed and went back to a lot of videos that I realized I missed early in the investigation,” said Carrie, who is retired.

She tried to watch the investigation every day and became a fan of Nick Wallis, a journalist who had covered the scandal for years, even attending one of his tours and buying his book.

She said former deputy postmaster general and campaigner Sir Alan Bates and Joe Hamilton were two of her “investigation heroes”, along with the inquiry’s lead lawyer Jason Beale.

Mr Beale has become an unlikely cult hero thanks to his cross-examination of key witnesses in the investigation.

“His performance was brilliant,” Carrie said.

She now looks forward to reading the report from inquiry chair Sir Wyn Williams, which is expected to be released next year.

“I would very much like to see some people prosecuted, although I doubt that will happen,” she said.

Abi Smith, 55, watched the inquest online and said she became more interested after hearing evidence from former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells .

Ms Vinnells has not spoken publicly about Horizon in nearly a decade. I took the exam for three days in May Featured in the most anticipated investigation.

Abbey, who works in education administration, said she found it “very strange” and “unbelievable” that a chief executive could claim “she didn’t know much”.

Inspired by these events, she decided to knit a mailbox top showing Ms. Vinnells being interrogated by Mr. Beale.

“I really just wanted to make a statement,” she said.

Abbey, whose grandfather and aunt used to work at the Post Office, believes the scandal has touched a lot of people because “it has always been a very trustworthy institution”.

She described the events as a “tragedy of trust” and thought it would be some time before she was inspired to weave such a powerful scene.

As an expat who has lived in Australia for 12 years, Paul Duckett originally watched Mr Bates vs. The Post Office to “reconnect with my home country”.

“But I also had to care about the people I lived with for most of my life,” he said.

The 56-year-old critical psychologist and university lecturer began posting about the inquiry hearings on his YouTube channel.

He is another member of the Jason Beale fan club. One of his videos, titled “What makes Mr. Beer so great?” currently has 80,000 views.

He said Mr. Bill’s intelligence was outstanding. “He was sharp and quick to spot when answers were vague, or when witnesses mistook fantasy for fact. He used humor sparingly but effectively, often exposing the absurdity of certain explanations.

“If you asked Mr. Beale, I suspect he would attribute the success of the investigation to the team around him, and in doing so, he would demonstrate his own greatness. That humility is one of his defining qualities.”

Despite his fascination with the investigation, Paul is pleased it is now over and hopes “meaningful action” can be taken.

Pey Kan Su first heard about the Post Office scandal when his wife mentioned the ITV drama.

After watching online and seeing “the whole thing was incredibly complicated,” he decided to attend the hearings in person, going 29 times in total.

“It was the most eye-opening yet exhilarating experience,” he said.

Pey Kan is a litigator (although not currently practicing) and an artist. He always had paper and pencil with him, and attending his first investigative hearing was no exception. He began drawing rooms regularly while listening to evidence.

“Drawing helps people observe. I had several drawings of inquiry hearings and I felt I had to make one to express my thoughts on the witnesses and lawyers.”

Pekan hopes the investigation will give lawyers “food for thought.”

“I hope we never lose the moral clarity to stand up when we see the little guy being brought down, and that the public will always support those who need help the most,” he said.

Additional reporting by Emma Simpson and Esilte Carr