Anthony Abdool
Anthony Abdool attended the inquest nine times and became friends with others who followed the proceedings.
People unconnected with the Post Office have told the BBC how absorbed they have become in the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.
It became almost a box office hit – racking up more than 20 million views on YouTube – largely helped by the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office which brought the scandal to public attention.
It was the story of ordinary people who, during their professional lives, fell victim to a faulty computer system, with catastrophic consequences. Some were financially ruined, others went to prison. Some died while waiting for justice.
The plight of the subpostmasters struck a chord with many, and some “superfans” avidly followed every step of the investigation, both online and in person.
These “superfans” told the BBC what had captivated them and what they hoped for now that the investigation is over, after 225 days of hearings involving 298 witnesses.
“My boss gave me time to go see”
Anthony Abdool believes he is one of the few “superfans” who hasn't seen the ITV drama. Instead, he heard about the scandal on the news and was watching the investigation online at home, finding it “deeply moving and scandalous.”
“The more they got into it, the more outraged I got,” Anthony says.
That's when he decided to attend and took time off work to go. Anthony, who is a freelance copywriter, says he was “very lucky” that his boss allowed him to take a total of nine days of paid leave.
His colleagues also supported his decision to participate and regularly asked him for updates.
“I think it reflects the wider importance people attach to the investigation and I can't think of anything I've been interested in that has united the public in such a way.”
Anthony was posting on X during the investigation and made friends online with others interested in the story. He says he'll be curious to know if they want to remain “friends on Twitter or if we've reached the end of our journey.”
And now that the investigation is over, he says, “Well, I'm going to have to go back to work!”
“It inspired me to examine other miscarriages of justice”
Isabelle Thomas
Isabella, a law student, says she is touched by the people she saw during the investigation
Isabella Thomas, 19, participated in the investigation for a week-long internship during the summer.
“I was truly humbled to be in the presence of so many incredible people, working to bring justice to those who so deserved it,” said the second-year law and politics student.
The scandal, which saw more than 900 subpostmasters prosecuted for theft due to incorrect information from the Horizon computer system, has been called the most widespread miscarriage of justice in the UK.
“This experience inspired me so much that I chose a module called “Miscarriages of Justice” for my degree this year.”
Post office inquiry
Isabella, photographed during her professional experience at the investigation
After attending the inquest in June, she continued to watch it online.
She said she was impressed by the courage of the sub-postmasters themselves, many of whom “lost their homes, their jobs, their freedom and even their lives, to continue to fight for themselves and for others” .
Isabella is now following other investigations into injustices but still believes that “the work is far from finished” when it comes to bringing justice to the sub-postmasters.
“I became obsessed. I listened on the beach'
Carrie, 63, first heard about the Post Office scandal on the news before watching the ITV drama.
“Once I realized the survey was available daily on YouTube, off I went! I was on vacation last February and found myself listening to the personal accounts of sub-postmasters sitting on the beach with headphones.”
She also listened to many Fujitsu engineers responsible for Horizon because she wanted to learn more about bugs and errors in the software.
“I became somewhat obsessed and went back and caught up on a lot of videos that I realized I had missed earlier in the investigation,” says Carrie, who is retired.
She tried to follow the investigation daily and became a fan of Nick Wallis, a journalist who has covered the scandal for years, even attending one of his tour days and buying his book.
She says former subpostmasters and campaigners Sir Alan Bates and Jo Hamilton are two of her “heroes of the investigation”, along with Jason Beer, the inquiry's lead lawyer.
Mr Beer became an unlikely cult hero thanks to his interviewing of key witnesses at the inquest.
“It was fantastic to watch,” Carrie says.
She now looks forward to reading the report from inquiry chairman Sir Wyn Williams, which is expected to be published next year.
“I would very much like to see a number of individuals prosecuted, although I doubt that will ever happen,” she says.
'I knitted Paula Vennells'
Abi Smith
Abi Smith called scandal a 'tragedy of trust'
Abi Smith, 55, watched the investigation online and said she became more interested after hearing former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells give evidence.
Ms Vennells, who had not spoken publicly about Horizon for almost a decade, was questioned over three days in May in the inquiry's most anticipated probe.
Abi, who works in education management, said she found it “quite bizarre” and “unbelievable” that a chief executive could claim “she didn't know that much”.
She was so inspired by the events that she decided to knit a letterbox decoration depicting Mrs Vennells being questioned by Mr Beer.
Richard Banks
People quickly started sharing photos of Abi's mailbox on social media
“I really wanted to make a statement,” she says.
Abi, whose grandfather and aunt worked for the Post Office, believes the scandal has affected many people because “it has always been a very trusted institution”.
She describes the events as a “tragedy of trust” and believes it will be a while before something else inspires her to create a scene of such impact.
“I watched it from Australia. Jason Beer is magnificent'
Paul Duckett
Expat Paul Duckett has regularly posted YouTube videos about the investigation.
As an expat living in Australia for 12 years, Paul Duckett first watched Mr Bates vs The Post Office to “reconnect with my homeland”.
“But I was also driven by concern for the fate of the people with whom I lived most of my life,” he says.
The 56-year-old critical psychologist and university professor began posting articles about investigative hearings on his YouTube channel.
He is another member of Jason Beer's fan club. One of his videos, titled “What Makes Mr Beer Beautiful?”, currently has 80,000 views.
He said Mr. Beer's spirit stood out. “He was lively, quick to spot evasive answers or witnesses who passed off a fantasy as fact. He used humor sparingly but effectively, often revealing the absurdity of certain explanations.
“If you asked Mr. Beer, I suspect he would attribute the success of the investigation to the team around him and, in doing so, he would demonstrate his own magnificence. This humility is one of his defining qualities.”
Although captivated by the investigation, Paul is pleased it has now concluded and hopes “meaningful action” will be taken.
“I felt obliged to paint certain audiences”
Pey Kan Su
Pey Kan Su visited the inquest 29 times and drew and painted scenes from the play.
Pey Kan Su first heard about the Post Office scandal when his wife brought up the ITV drama.
After looking online and seeing “the extraordinary complexity of it all,” he decided to attend the hearings in person, going a total of 29 times.
“It was the most eye-opening but also the most uplifting experience,” he says.
Pey Kan is a litigation lawyer, although not currently practicing, and an artist. He always carries paper and pencils and his first investigative hearing is no exception. He began drawing the piece regularly while listening to the testimonies.
“Drawing helps to see. I have a few paintings from the inquest hearings, the few I thought I should paint in order to express my thoughts about the witness and the lawyer.”
Pey Kan 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 taken down, and that the public will always support those who need it most,” he says.
Additional reporting by Emma Simpson and Esyllt Carr
