Spot Review Summary
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Number I Sub Status Key Issues POL Response Second Sight Next Steps
Postmaster Response
SROO1 John Complete I Communication line failure The sub postmaster was aware that Ron is coming I Simon to
Armstrong problems: there were connection problems down onthe I follow up with
side of the sub I Ron
1. Horizon backs out The sub postmaster did invoke that postmaster
transactions without the disconnection process by electing
Sub postmaster to cancel the session when given an
acknowledgement option message on the screen.
2. Horizon does not The till receipts produced as part of
provide clear enough the disconnection process should have
information for the allowed Mr. Armstrong to know how
sub postmaster to to complete the transaction. The
understand what do receipt would have shown what
do in the even for a transaction completed and which ones
communications line didn’t.
failure
There is sufficient detail on the
disconnection receipt for the sub
postmaster to understand what action
to take.
5ROOS I Michael In Central team manipulated sub No evidence to support this. None yet Steve A to
RUDKIN progress I postmaster data progress
This is based on a meeting
Rudkin accusations are purely hear say
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Rudkin had in the basement of
the Fujitsu building where he
belived he saw or heard
people manipulating sub
postmaster data
The words he heard were probably
referring to test data in the test
environment.
There is no ability to access live data
from the basement of Bracknell (it is a
test environment only)
SROO6 Tracey Ann Complete I Centrally-input transactions No evidence to support the None None
MERRITT. alleSRgations.
She received calls from the
help desk after she was The phone calls were probably due to
suspended about transactions Post Office not updating our records
in her outreach branch ona timely basis
SRO10 Tracey Ann Complete I Postage Labels and Horizon logs show no transaction for None None
MERRITT Power/Communications Failures 67p
During a transaction for 67p Horizon logs show no evidence of a
the system froze and then system failure or “freezing
printed out 6 duplicate
receipts Horizon logs show no evidence of
multiple receipts being printed
SRO11 Tracey Ann Complete I GIRO Payments - Apparent Loss Branches are able to review on None None
MERRITT of Audit Trail
SPMRs cannot properly account
for GIRO payments that have
been made in their branch as no
audit trail is produced
Horizon all transactions (including the
deposit or withdrawal of Giros) in the
last 60 days
Branches are able (and indeed
required) to print and retain a Daily
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3. Giro Report showing all Giro deposits
and withdrawals on a given day.
SRO12 Jo Complete I Missing cheques 1. Loss caused by missing cheques is only I None None
HAMILTON passed on to SPMRs by way of a
There are "mysterious" or transaction correction if the SPMR has
“unexplained” shortages in the not followed the set operational
remittance of cheques from processes for taking and recording
branch to POL which lead to cheque transactions.
transaction corrections being
issued against SPMRs. 2. By following the set operational
processes, SPMRs can avoid any
By the time a transaction liability for missing cheques
correction is raised in relation
to a missing cheque, it has
become impossible for the
SPMR to identify the customer
who handed over the cheque.
The SPMR cannot therefore
mitigate the loss and this is
inequitable.
SRO13 I Jo Complete I Missing cheques Due to the age of the transaction in question None None
HAMILTON in this Spot Review (2005), the transaction
Problem with a missing cheque
in regards to a TV licence.
The customer received his TV
Licence and the cheque did clear
and was debited to his bank
account (a copy of the cheque is
on file).
The reason for the TC is not
clear, as correct payment for the
history is no longer available and a detailed
investigation cannot be conducted.
Nevertheless, it is thought (though this cannot
be proven conclusively) that this case does not
relate to missing cheques but rather toa TV
licence transaction correction. In Post Office's
experience this type of situation arises where
a SPMR fails to properly record a TV licence
transaction on Horizon.
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TV licence appears to have been
made. The SPMR was unable to
reclaim the money i.r.o. the TC
and has suffered a loss which
was not caused by her error.
Jenny Complete I Transactions not entered by the 1. Every stock adjustment transaction is None None
O'DELL SPMR or any branch employee logged against the user's ID who is
logged into Horizon
Situation reported of mysterious
entries regarding stock 2. Horizon system does not generate
adjustments for stamps automatic stock adjustments.
3. Provided the SPMR at the Great
Staughton branch made accurate
stock and cash declarations then stock
adjustments cannot cause a SPMR to
suffer a shortfall.
Alison HALL I In Lottery 'Instants' Scratch Cards This is still under investigation, but is it likely NA NA
progress that the “difference” was a result in the sub
Differences between the two
systems (Camelot and Horizon)
resulted in substantial losses and
that POL failed to fully
investigate and/or to
communicate its findings in
respect of those anomalies.
postmaster not accurately “remming in” the
scratch cards into Horizon.
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SRO23
Nirmala
FATANIA
Complete
Spoilt Postage Labels
Spoilt postage transactions
were logged on Horizon
against a user's ID even
though the user may not have
conducted the transactions
The Horizon audit logs show that each spoilt
postage entry was conducted by the SPMR at
the this branch. Any errors in the spoilt
postage transactions logged on these dates
are therefore attributable to a user error not a
Horizon error
None
None