Inquiry into Post Office Horizon scandal faces five-year delay without extra funding
Police say the Horizon criminal inquiry could slip by five years unless it gets more money and nearly 100 extra staff.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The Metropolitan police say the Post Office Horizon criminal probe is underfunded and understaffed, with a projected £16.5m gap and a need to nearly double the team. Without that, the timetable for charging decisions could move back by as much as five years.
A big police case is looking at how Post Office workers were wrongly blamed because of broken computer software. The people running the case say they need much more money and many more helpers to finish on time.
If they do not get that help, the case could take years longer. It is like trying to sort a giant box of 8 million puzzle pieces with too few people at the table.
The case matters because many people were hurt by the scandal, and families are still waiting for answers. The police want to make sure they have enough proof before asking for charges.
Analysis
Funding gap
The Metropolitan Police officer leading the criminal inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal says the investigation needs far more money and staff if it is to meet its current timetable. Stephen Clayman said the projected budget could reach £19.3m, while the Home Office has so far provided a special grant of £2.8m, leaving a shortfall of £16.5m.
Scale of the probe
Clayman said the team would need to grow from 111 to 210 people to keep to a target of submitting files for charging decisions in late 2027 or early 2028. He warned that without that expansion, the investigation could be pushed back by as much as five years. Police already hold 8m documents, and more are expected, many of which must be forensically reviewed.
What the inquiry is examining
Operation Olympos is investigating possible offences including perjury and perverting the course of justice linked to decisions made in Post Office investigations. Police have interviewed 13 of the 53 people under investigation, including seven more suspects questioned under caution this year. Several files have also gone to prosecutors for early investigative advice.
Wider context
Clayman said officers will wait for the full publication of Sir Wyn Williams’s public inquiry before moving to charging. The first part of that inquiry, focused on the human impact and redress, has already been published. The second part is expected to examine Horizon’s flaws, the culture at the Post Office and Fujitsu, and how sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted. More than 900 post office operators were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015, and across redress schemes more than 11,500 claimants have been paid £1.48bn so far.
Key points
- Police say the Horizon criminal inquiry could face a five-year delay without extra funding and staff.
- The projected budget is £19.3m, with a £16.5m shortfall after a £2.8m Home Office grant.
- The team would need to grow from 111 to 210 people to keep the late-2027 or early-2028 charging timetable.
- Investigators are reviewing 8m documents and have interviewed 13 of 53 suspects under investigation.
- Police are waiting for the full public inquiry report before moving to charging decisions.
