Post Office inquiry ends for 'superfans' gripped by the scandal

Some members of the public, with no connection to the Post Office, have told the BBC that they are surprised by how much they have been following the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal. The inquiry has reached almost box office viewing figures, with over 20 million views on YouTube, largely thanks to the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which brought the scandal to wider public attention.

It is a story of ordinary people being wronged by a faulty IT system at work, with devastating consequences. Some were bankrupted, others were jailed, and some died while waiting for justice. The plight of these Post Office sub-postmasters has resonated with many, with some "superfans" avidly following every step of the inquiry, both online and in person.

These "superfans" have told the BBC what drew them in and what they hope for now the inquiry has concluded after 225 days of hearings and 298 witness testimonies. Anthony Abdul believes he is one of the few "superfans" who did not watch the ITV drama. He heard about the scandal on the news and watched the online inquiry from home, finding it "both moving and infuriating".

"The more they delved into it, the angrier I got," Anthony said. So, he decided to attend the hearings in person, taking time off work to do so. As a freelance advertising copywriter, Anthony said he was "very lucky" that his boss allowed him to take a total of nine days of paid leave. His colleagues were also supportive of his decision to attend the hearings and often asked him for updates. "I think it reflects how much the public care about this inquiry, I can't think of anything else that would unite the public like this."

Anthony would post on X, formerly Twitter, during the hearings and made online connections with others interested in the case. He said he is curious to know if they will remain "Twitter buddies" or if their "journey" is over. Now the inquiry has concluded, he said: "Well, I've got to get back to work!"

Isabella Thomas, 19, attended a week of the inquiry as part of a summer internship. "It was an absolute privilege to be in the room with so many brilliant people, fighting for justice for those who deserve it," said the second-year law and politics student. The scandal, which saw more than 900 sub-postmasters prosecuted for theft based on incorrect information provided by the Horizon computer system, has been described as the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice.

"The experience has inspired me so much that I have chosen a module called 'Miscarriages of Justice' for my degree this year." After attending the inquiry in June, she continued to watch online. She said she was struck by the courage of the sub-postmasters, many of whom had lost "their homes, jobs, freedom, and even their lives" to "fight for themselves and others". Isabella is now following other inquiries into injustices, but she still believes that, in terms of getting justice for the sub-postmasters, "the job is far from done".

Carrie, 63, initially heard about the Post Office scandal on the news before watching the ITV drama. "Once I realised I could watch the inquiry on YouTube every day, I was hooked! I found myself listening to sub-postmasters' personal accounts on the beach with my headphones on while on holiday last February." She also listened to a lot of the evidence from the Fujitsu engineers who were responsible for the Horizon system, as she wanted to know more about the errors and flaws in the software. "I became a bit obsessed and went back and watched a lot of the earlier inquiry videos that I realised I had missed," said retired Carrie.

She tried to watch the inquiry every day and became a fan of Nick Wallis, a journalist who has covered the scandal for many years, even attending his tour and buying his book. She said former sub-postmaster and campaigner Sir Alan Bates and Jo Hamilton were two of her "inquiry heroes", as well as the inquiry's lead counsel, Jason Beer. Mr Beer has become an unlikely "idol" due to his questioning of key witnesses at the inquiry. "He was just brilliant to watch," said Carrie. She is now looking forward to reading the report from the inquiry chair, Sir Wyn Williams, which is expected next year. "I would love to see some people prosecuted, although I suspect that will never happen," she said.

Abbie Smith, 55, watched the inquiry online and said she became more involved after listening to evidence from former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells. Ms Vennells faced three days of questioning in May, in what was one of the most anticipated appearances at the inquiry, after not speaking publicly about the Horizon system for almost a decade. Abbie, who works in education administration, said she found it "quite strange" and "unbelievable" that a chief executive could claim "she didn't know that much".

Inspired by the events, she decided to knit a postbox hat depicting the scene of Mr Beer questioning Ms Vennells. "I really just wanted to make a statement," she said. Abbie, whose grandfather and aunt both worked for the Post Office, thinks the scandal has touched a lot of people because "it has always been a very trusted institution". She described the events as a "tragedy of trust" and thinks it will be a while before something else inspires her to knit such a powerful scene.

Paul Duckett, an expat living in Australia for 12 years, initially watched Mr Bates vs The Post Office to "reconnect with my home country". "But I was also drawn in by the concerns of people I've lived with for most of my life," he said. The 56-year-old critical psychologist and university lecturer started posting content about the inquiry hearings on his YouTube channel. He is also another member of the Jason Beer fan club. One of his videos, entitled "What makes Mr Beer so great?" has now received 80,000 views.

He said Mr Beer's wit was particularly striking. "He's sharp, quick to spot whether an answer is evasive or if a witness is mistaking fantasy for fact. He uses humour sparingly, but to great effect, often exposing the absurdity of certain explanations. If you asked Mr Beer, I suspect he would attribute the success of the inquiry to the team around him, and in doing so, he would demonstrate his own greatness. That humility is one of his most striking qualities." Despite being fascinated by the inquiry, Paul is glad it is now over and hopes for "meaningful action".

Pei Kan Su first heard about the Post Office scandal when his wife mentioned the ITV drama. After watching online and seeing "the extraordinary complexity of the whole thing," he decided to attend the hearings in person, going a total of 29 times. "It was truly a most eye-opening but also uplifting experience," he said. Pei Kan is a litigation lawyer, although he is not currently practicing, and is also an artist. He always carries paper and pencils with him, and his first inquiry hearing was no exception. He began to regularly draw the room while listening to the evidence. "Drawing helps with observation. I have several drawings of the inquiry hearings, some of which I felt compelled to draw to express my view of the witnesses and the barristers." Pei Kan hopes the inquiry will give lawyers "food for thought". "I hope we never lose that moral clarity to stand up when we see the weak being bullied and that the public will always support those who need it most," he said.