Communities felt the pain when sub-postmasters were falsely accused
SIR – When our local sub-postmaster was falsely accused of stealing because of the Horizon malfunction (Letters, January 10), the village lost not only its post office but also a thoroughly decent member of the community. Bob Stebbings Chorleywood, Hertfordshire
SIR – It has taken a television drama to raise our awareness of the extent of the utterly appalling Horizon scandal.
At its heart is the belief that a computer system, introduced in 1999 by a national treasure – the Post Office – must be believed over the human user.
This has to be an enormous wake-up call. AI is already in our midst and behind deep-fake scams on social media. Our blind faith in computers needs to be challenged. Human logic, common sense and sheer gut feeling mustn’t be lost entirely as we submit to mechanical intelligence.
Stella Currie
Bramhall, Cheshire
SIR – Any complex software system will contain errors, and no testing regime can reliably find them all. No sticks or carrots applied to software developers can change this.
Automating a previously manual activity creates a risk that the system will misbehave in unexpected – maybe damaging – ways.
Geoffrey Sampson
Emeritus professor of informatics Uckfield, East Sussex
SIR – Paula Vennells has decided to return her CBE (report, January 10). Returning the nearly £5million she received during her time at the Post Office might be a more useful gesture. Jacqueline Hawkins
Hove, East Sussex
SIR – Paula Vennells bowed to pressure and has returned her CBE.
Hopefully Sir Ed Davey will now consider his position.
Anthony Hirons
Lutterworth, Leicestershire
SIR – Voting for Sir Ed Davey in the forthcoming general election would not “serve any useful purpose”. Cliff Jewell
Barton-on-sea, Hampshire
SIR – Could Gwyneth Hughes, who wrote Mr Bates vs The Post Office, turn her attention to the debt-laden water companies that have polluted rivers with impunity? And to farmers, who’ve been robbed of fair payment for their produce by the big supermarkets?
These issues have been ignored by successive governments. Male farmers are among the most likely people to take their own lives.
Shirley Parker
Market Harborough, Leicestershire
SIR – Given the success of Mr Bates vs The Post Office in galvanising this Government into action, perhaps a programme titled Stop the Boats would have a similar effect.
Pete Rosie