Shocking new evidence has emerged showing the Post Office was aware of critical faults in its Capture computer software months before it was introduced to branches across the UK in 1992.
Early Warnings Ignored
Meeting notes from the Capture steering group, obtained by Sky News, reveal that as early as February or March 1992, officials were warned that the system's files could become corrupted. The documents specifically highlighted that if power was switched off while a file was open, the data would be corrupted, requiring staff to check and reinput information.
Another significant fault identified in the meeting notes stated that if part of the system was closed early to produce client summaries, additional transactions might not be captured for that day. The documents explicitly warned that if a high error rate was detected, the software would need to be reworked.
Documented Failures Continue
Despite these early warnings, the Post Office rolled out the flawed Capture system to approximately 2,500 branches between 1992 and 1999, preceding the infamous Horizon scandal. A subsequent Capture Troubleshooting Guide from April 1993, over a year after the initial warnings, continued to describe problems with corrupt data and incorrect transaction values.
The guide confirmed that the cause was switching off the computer or experiencing a power cut while using the Capture programme, exactly as identified in the pre-launch meetings.
Devastating Human Impact
The consequences of these known software flaws were catastrophic for sub-postmasters. Many were forced to cover apparent accounting shortfalls from their own pockets, with dozens convicted of theft and false accounting based on the faulty software evidence.
Steve Marston, convicted of stealing from his Post Office branch in 1998 after using Capture, told Sky News the revelations came as no surprise. "They've known since the very beginning it should never have been released," he said.
Campaigner Rupert Lloyd-Thomas was more direct: "The Post Office knew...in 1992, long before the launch, that Capture could be zapped by a power cut. They did nothing about it."
Tragically, Patricia Owen, who was convicted of theft by a jury in 1998 based on Capture software evidence, died in 2003 without clearing her name. Her case was formally referred to the Court of Appeal last month, marking a major milestone in the ongoing IT scandal.
Official Recognition and Ongoing Investigations
It wasn't until September 2024 that the government-commissioned Kroll report concluded it was likely the Capture software had caused accounting errors. The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently investigating around 30 cases potentially linked to the faulty Capture system.
In a statement, a Post Office spokesperson said: "We have been very concerned about the reported problems relating to the use of the Capture software and are sincerely sorry for past failings that have caused suffering to postmasters." They acknowledged having limited records relating to this system and encouraged anyone with Capture-related material to come forward.
