Referring to the wrongful conviction between 2000 and 2014 of some 700 sub-postmasters/postmistresses, many of whom were imprisoned, and some who died as 'felons', their reputations and in many cases their families and friendships destroyed, doesn't come anywhere near to describing the seriousness of the 20 year scandal that resulted from catastrophic flaws in the Royal Mail's Horizon computer system.

What makes this travesty of justice even more appalling, is the fact that even when executives at the Post Office were made aware of the problem's with Horizon - they still went ahead with their persecution and prosecution of 700 victims of their own incompetence.

Did it not occur to any of the grossly overpaid, bungling idiots running the Post Office to question why suddenly hundreds of their postmasters and postmistresses had 'turned to crime?' That alone should have set alarm bells ringing.

It will not be enough for the public inquiry that opened on Monday to exonerate and compensate (for some of whom it will come too late) the victims of Royal Mail's witch hunt, and apportion blame (as if we do not already know) for a travesty that could have been avoided had the organisation's executives used some common sense instead of pouring their efforts into covering their own gold-plated backsides.

Justice will only be seen to have been done when those who oversaw the criminal debacle are convicted of malfeasance and are themselves behind bars.

ROBERT READMAN Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth