The Post Office minister has admitted sharing “frustration” that victims of the Capture IT scandal are still waiting for justice.
In an exclusive interview with The i Paper, Labour’s minister Blair McDougall revealed more than £3.2m in compensation has now been paid out to former sub-postmasters and their families who lost money while using the faulty Capture system.
McDougall insisted there has been a “change in culture” at the Post Office, despite victims’ fury over its decision to challenge the first appeal of a criminal conviction linked to Capture.
Shorts – Quick stories
Can you learn to love pigeons? A much-unloved animal in the UK
Features writer Kasia Delgado went on a safari to see if she could look past their rat-like nature
The tour guide
People think pigeons are stupid but lots of studies have shown them to have amazing memories, that they can identify people by their facial features, and they have an extraordinary sense of direction.
Florence Wilkinson, author of Wild City: Encounters with Urban Wildlife, took Kasia on a tour.
Positives of pigeons
War heroes
During the Second World War, carrier pigeons were routinely used to send messages, and they saved thousands of lives.
Homing ability
Scientists have put them in blacked-out vans and put miniature goggles on them to blur their vision and still the pigeons manage to return home.
The Dove family
We think of them as all grey, but they vary in shades, and some of them are quite amazingly coloured, says Florence.
Kasia’s feeding test
As I gingerly chuck some seed, wincing slightly, 15 or so flap their wings at me. I wouldn’t say I feel content or relaxed but I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I can see they’re not going to do me harm and after all, they’re just enjoying some free food.
A common myth?
Disease carriers
Research has found that between 1941 and 2004, there were only 207 reports worldwide of pathogens transmitted from pigeons to humans.
Not all walks are created equal
Read on to find out how to supercharge yours into an unbeatable health-builder
How to supercharge your walk
Get a bit breathless
All walking paces are linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease but there are additional gains made by those who walk at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity.
Walk uphill
Try to find varying inclines to increase energy and muscle burn.
Add weights
The extra resistance challenges your heart to work harder, increasing cardiovascular fitness.
How to supercharge your walk
Uneven ground
Mountainous and uneven terrain work your stabilising muscles harder, increasing the difficulty and output from your walk.
Go Nordic
Using poles engages the arms as well as the legs and core, turning walking into a full-body workout.
A walk is beneficial at any time of day, but after eating could be best. Research has found that 10- to 30-minute walks taken 10 to 30 minutes after a meal can reduce the peak blood-sugar measurements reached.
Slower and lower blood sugar throughout the day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
How to supercharge your walk
Go green
Walking in nature has more psychological benefits than concrete. It’s shown to significantly reduce anxiety and depression.
Improve your posture
Staying tall through the spine, open your chest and keep your eyes forward (not leaning over on your phone..).
Meet outside
Walking is a good time to have conversations, whether with your boss or a friend.
Mistakes to avoid
1Focusing on step count – most research suggests that benefits plateau at 7,000 steps a day.
2Using ankle weights – they can tug at the hip flexors and the knees.
3 Doing one-and-done – just hiking for three hours on the weekend, and nothing throughout the week, means you’re missing out on benefits.
4Thinking it’s not a workout – walking packs in cardio and brain-boosting effects without the recovery time of intense exercise.
Eight million people in the UK are living with heart or circulatory disease
And while chest pain is a well-known symptom, there are more subtle signs you should be aware of too.
Overlooked signs of heart disease
Dizziness and fainting
An abnormal heart rhythm can cause a dizzy feeling. While much dizziness is not serious, it can be associated with life-threatening complications.
Increased breathlessness
This breathlessness could be due to blockages and reduced blood flow in the arteries.
Swollen ankles
Unusual swelling can indicate a problem with the body’s circulatory system and kidneys.
Worsening fatigue
Ongoing and worsening fatigue can indicate an underlying health issue, and it could be a sign that your heart isn’t working as effectively as it should be. If persistent fatigue is impacting you day-to-day, the best thing to do is speak with your doctor.
Ruth Goss, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation
Overlooked signs of heart disease
Indigestion-type symptoms Discomfort in the stomach, chest and ribs, or a burning sensation in the chest area, could all be symptoms of heart disease.
Erectile dysfunction If it’s an ongoing issue, there could be an underlying health problem, including atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), diabetes or high blood pressure.
Emotional detachment is a key life skill
Read on to find out how to embrace it, from GP Dr Radha
Healthy detachment
[Detachment] is not selfish – we can still care and empathise. We don’t avoid, we just balance and respond rather than react because we are not too invested in the outcome. This is very different from emotional numbing, which often happens after trauma.
dr Radha Modgil
When we need detachment
Toxic friendships
When you feel that an interaction brings out the worst in you, or that you are having to watch everything you say or do.
Dysfunctional families
Healthy detachment is helpful when we become overly invested in trying to control or fix someone.
Work issues
It’s helpful in situations you are not in control of and helps you leave work behind at 5pm.
How to start it
Examine your beliefs
You may have been conditioned to think that it is your responsibility to fix everything. Is this a fact or based on old patterns?
Look at the impact
Consider what negative impact your “fixing” has; it can keep situations stuck, or infantilise others from growing up.
Which problems are in your control?
Understanding what problems are ours to hold and which aren’t can help avoid emotional burnout.
How to maintain it
Firm boundaries
This means understanding your sense of self, what is yours and what is not and sticking to it.
Self-care
Recognise and look after your own energy levels, mental health and your need to live your own life.
Be objective
Try to have a factual, calm, rational attitude in moments of conflict. This includes trying to release the need to control.
I spent a week in the world’s happiest country
Here are the five ways I brought Finnish culture back to the UK.
Sauna, sauna, sauna
A regular Finnish sauna boasts a wealth of health benefits: improved cardiovascular health, reduced blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia.
In Finnish culture, the sauna is available for everyone: it’s the great equaliser and forms a gently ritualistic part of the day.
Immerse yourself in nature
It is enshrined in Finnish law that anyone living in or visiting Finland has the freedom to roam the countryside, forage, fish, ski, or camp temporarily.
70 per cent of Finland is forest and they have an estimated 180,000 lakes, of which Lake Saimaa (the one I visited) is the largest.
It plays into the Finns’ love of solitude: having space to think. I have found myself not only treasuring the greenery I can find in London.
Eastl local and drink coffee
Finnish diet
Diets are rich in oily fish and local produce: whole grains, Arctic berries, dairy, wild mushrooms, and game like reindeer.
Coffee
The Finns are the number one coffee drinkers in the world. This is both a social ritual and a historic legacy.
I’m cherishing my coffee breaks that bit more, as well as enjoying smoked fish and pickles for lunch
Have fun
Play is embedded from early childhood, as it is seen as a fundamental pillar of development. For every 45-minute lesson, children enjoy unstructured play for 15 mins.
While adults don’t get the same level of structured play, hobbies and a clear demarcation between work and life ensure adults retain a sense of leisure. Every year in July, businesses slow down.
Do not take the good for granted
Finns actively remember not only their suffering through the war, but the fact that the peace they enjoy requires constant maintenance.
Greenwich Park (Photo: AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
Since my visit, I am actively appreciating things like London’s public transport system, or the number of parks my dog can run in. We are fools if we take it for granted.
Inflammation can be harmful. But it is possible to lower it through lifestyle changes.
We asked the experts the habits you can instill to reduce levels.
Dietary changes
Fruit and veg
Research suggests high intakes of fruit and vegetables are linked with lower inflammatory markers, says dietitican Sammie Gill.
Healthy fats
Omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil are all beneficial in fighting inflammation.
Established diets
Certain patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, can help control long-term inflammation.
What to use and what to avoid
Use turmeric and black pepper
Herbs and spices are an easy way of adding anti-inflammatory plant compounds to your diet.
Drink green tea
Keeping hydrated by drinking enough water helps your body function, and herbal teas can have added benefits.
Eat blueberries
Women eating a handful of blueberries a day can help lower their high blood pressure.
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Regularly, not randomly
“The key is consistency, even light, regular activity is better than long, intense workouts once in a while,” says Dr Maz Mwambazi, a GP.
Yoga
Building muscle through weight lifting can help, as can mind-body practices like yoga, which combine physical postures, breathing, and meditation.
Prioritise fun
Chronic stress can contribute to inflammation, says Dr Rangan Chatterjee – so partake in activities which help you manage or reduce your stress levels.
Finding a hobby you enjoy, spending time in nature and spending time connecting with friends and family have all been shown to reduce stress.
The Capture software was developed by the Post Office in-house and rolled out to thousands of branches in the 1990s.
Sub-postmasters complained of bugs and faults that caused them to suffer accounting problems for years.
But in a precursor to the Horizon scandal, they were forced to hand over money, sacked, and in some cases criminally prosecuted by the Post Office.
Following an investigation by The i Paper, the Government set up a new compensation scheme, which has now received more than 200 applications and has made 46 interim payments and 24 final payments.
However, there remains anger over both the fairness of the compensation scheme and the lack of progress regarding criminal convictions.
Those who were successfully prosecuted by the Post Office will not receive a penny until their convictions are overturned.
Patricia Owen was convicted of theft by the Post Office in 1998 while using the Capture system despite insisting her innocence
The i Paper revealed earlier this year how the first case to be referred to the Court of Appeal by the miscarriages of justice watchdog, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, is being opposed by the Post Office.
Patricia Owen was convicted of theft in 1998 despite insisting she never stole any money and instructing an independent IT expert who found Capture to be riddled with faults.
Lawyers for the Post Office submitted a response of more than 40 pages to the Court of Appeal, admitting the software was faulty and would have caused accounting problems but insisting Mrs Owen, who died in 2003, was still able to receive “a fair trial”.
Asked about the Post Office’s position, McDougall said: “I’m sure the Post Office are aware of the need to be sensitive and reactive on this, and I think there will be a lot of lessons learned about speed of due process, not just within the judicial side of things but also in the redress side of things.
“For justice to be served, whatever the outcome is in these cases, it is the duty of the Post Office, as the prosecutor in the original cases, to present what they think is kind of a truthful and honest position in court.
“And that means ensuring all the relevant information is presented.
“I can’t comment on individual cases, I perfectly understand that sense of frustration.
“But… in order for people to have confidence that justice is being done, you do have to have the full facts and all the information laid out.”
The Criminal Cases Review Commission says it has around 29 cases related to Capture convictions.
The Post Office’s decision to delay and then oppose Mrs Owen’s case at the Court of Appeal, and warn that it may take the same position with other Capture cases, has prompted outrage among campaigners.
The first wrongful Horizon convictions were not overturned by the Court of Appeal until December 2020, more than 16 years after they took place.
The slow pace in the justice system prompted the previous Conservative government to use unprecedented Parliamentary legislation to quash the remaining Horizon convictions, thought to relate to around 900 individuals in 2024.
McDougall did not rule out taking similar action with Capture convictions at a later date.
Chair of Post Office Limited Nigel Railton said he would support mass exoneration of convictions (Photo: Jeff Moore/PA)
Post Office chairman Nigel Railton has also stated publicly he would support mass exoneration of Capture convictions.
McDougall added: “I’ve got to tread carefully, because I can’t comment on the appeals themselves that are going through, but on the wider questions of the change in culture in the Post Office, I think you are seeing that change of culture from top to bottom within the Post Office.
“You’re seeing it through the change in pace and the change in behaviours in the way that the various redress schemes are being pursued, not just by the Post Office but by myself and my department.
“I meet [Post Office bosses Nigel Railton and Neil Brocklehurst] both very, very regularly to have these conversations and the whole shape of that conversation is talk about this culture change.”
The Horizon public inquiry concluded public hearings in December 2024 and chair Sir Wyn Williams published the first volume of his report last year.
The second is expected later this year and McDougall said that he believes this will help draw a line under the scandals surrounding the Post Office.
“We’re entering 2026 in that period where the scandal I think begins to conclude,” he said.
“We move into a new phase after Sir Wyn’s report and I think it’s really incumbent on us to make sure that beyond the Post Office scandal the lessons of how we listen to people when they raise suggestions of gross injustices like this.”
