Former subpostmasters are eagerly waiting for answers from a government-backed investigation into the Post Office Capture software system. A 27-year-old Horizon project document has provided some critical answers.
Following the airing of ITV’s drama about the Post Office Horizon scandal, former subpostmasters have come forward with similar issues related to the Capture software. Questions have been raised about the software’s development, with the Post Office initially unable to identify the developer. However, it has now been revealed that IT supplier Unisys developed the software.
The Capture system, introduced in 1992, was described as a spreadsheet that allowed subpostmasters to automate accounting processes. Unlike the Horizon system, it was standalone software used by individual users. Despite suffering from errors, the software was being used by around 1,600 Post Office branches by 1995.
Former users of the pre-Horizon Capture system, like Steve Marston and Steve Lewis, have shared their experiences of unexplained losses, prosecutions, and financial hardships. The lack of information surrounding the Capture software has led to pressure on the government and Unisys to provide more answers.
Specialist investigators have been brought in to examine whether the Capture system also led to subpostmasters being wrongly prosecuted. The Post Office scandal was first exposed by Computer Weekly in 2009, leading to a deeper investigation into the issues faced by subpostmasters.