COMPUTER PROGRAM STILL RUINING LIVES Stamp out Post Office’s tainted IT system

broadband line to run Horizon. They insist on all of their other kit sharing that line. You have lots of devices chattering down the same line – the burglar alarm, the phone pay station, lottery machine.

“Any one of these can knock Horizon out. We need to have a debate about what technology there is on the market and if it can replace Horizon.”

Boris Johnson has demanded a probe into the scandal and MPS will this month question bosses and ex-ministers who were involved in commissioning Horizon.

Fifty sub-postmasters and cashiers are having convictions reviewed – all related to supposedly missing cash.

They include Tracey Felstead, 37, who was jailed in 2001 for theft and false accounting after she was accused of taking £11,500 from a branch in Camberwell,

South London. She spent three months in HMP Holloway before being released on a tag but has always maintained her innocence. Tracey, who now lives in Telford, Shropshire, has had mental health problems since and has tried to take her life twice.

She said: “The trauma of going to prison at 19 has affected my whole life.

“I can’t trust anyone and my marriage broke down because of the stress of trying to clear my name.

“Even when you explain what has happened, some people still think you are a thief.”

Tracey’s MP Lucy Allan said: “We are told the Post Office has learned lessons but it is not possible to learn until there is acceptance of past mistakes and they are not there yet.”

The Post Office said: “We are making extensive improvements to support all postmasters and staff.

“We are committed to resolving past events fairly. We will be launching a scheme for postmasters who were not part of the group litigation settlement who believe they have experienced shortfalls related to the computer system.”