A criminal investigation has been launched into the Post Office over the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

Scotland Yard has confirmed detectives are looking at "potential fraud offences” committed in the handling of the Horizon IT scandal.

The Post Office prosecuted at least 700 postmasters over allegations of fraud, theft and false accounting based on evidence from the faulty Horizon computer system between 1999 and 2015.

The story has recently been featured in the ITV series Mr Bates vs Post Office starring Toby Jones as Alan Bates, a sub-postmaster from Wales at the heart of the scandal.

Alan Bates

In a statement, a spokesperson from Scotland Yard said: "The Met is investigating potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice. These potential offences arise out of investigations and prosecutions carried out by the Post Office.

"The investigation was launched in January 2020 following a referral from the DPP. Two people have been interviewed under caution. Nobody has been arrested."

Earlier this week, a spokesperson from the Post Office said: "We sincerely apologise to victims of the devastating impact of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal on the lives of so many.

"We are doing all we can to provide redress and urge anyone affected who has not yet come forward to do so."

The Post Office has apologised to victims of the scandal (file pic)

A barrister who represents several of the wrongly convicted postmasters, Paul Marshall told The Times: "The emergence of information suggesting that the Met police is looking at fraud in connection with the Post Office’s conduct is wholly unsurprising.

"Once it is accepted that postmasters were not experiencing real shortfalls at their branches, the money that the Post Office obtained from them, through demands … were themselves improper demands for money and money that was received unlawfully."