WHEN I think about the Post Office scandal I draw one of two conclusion about its managers; either they were malicious, or they were naïve.

I will be charitable and assume the latter, though both factors may have been in play.

It is naïve to assume, as the Post Office managers seem to have done, that computer systems are reliable.

Even my home computer plays up at times.

And I believe that the more complex a system, the greater the unreliability.

The postal accounting system, which covered hundreds of post offices, was very complex, and therefore potentially unreliable.

Yet the managers, and Fujitsu who provided the system, seem to have had perfect faith in it.

I believe that all large and complex IT systems should be assumed to be unreliable, until proven otherwise.

But that is asking a lot of most people, who find it hard to believe that IT systems are not to be relied on.

Perhaps the shiny cases on computer terminals affect their judgement.

David Martin,

Rosedale Avenue,

Acomb, York

...AN obvious outcome of the Post Office scandal is public confidence in authority, the judiciary and large public corporations is very shallow at best.

Many will rightly suspect this catastrophe is sadly only one of many to be exposed to public scrutiny.

Peter Rickaby,

West Park,

Selby

... It took a TV docu-drama to shake the Tories to their very roots.

Years after it should have been done, The Press published the Postal Services Minister Kevin Hollinrake stating there would be "no stone unturned in pursuit of justice".

Good. This means that every single person involved in this scandal must have the same punishment as they heaped upon almost 700 innocent sub postmasters.

This includes Horizon IT, Fujitsu, the Post Office heads who sanctioned the crime, then the people who own the Post Office, the Government.

Handing in your gong and saying sorry doesn't cut the mustard for the heartbreak you caused.

All identified should be forced to attend court, be fined heavily and where appropriate jailed - yes even MPs who backed this crime.

They caused it and should pay out compensation to the victims - not the public.

So put up or shut up - and wrap this up quickly.

William Moore,

Lochrin Place,

York

...REGARDING our local MPs and the Post Office scandal. Did any of the postmasters/mistresses affected in their constituencies ask for their help? If so, what was the response? When did they become aware there was a problem?

Richard Denton,

Mill Lane,

Wigginton

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Think of others

LAST week a letter writer bemoaned the spending of money on a ramp instead of steps on the bridge cycle path.

Not very considerate, is he?

I'm not the only person who relies on an e-bike to get me around and humping one up steps is totally impractical.

Obviously he hasn't even considered people in wheelchairs or electric buggies who would find a ramp the only realistic answer, as opposed to impassable steps.

Time to get a life and just now and again consider other people's problems.

Brian Ledger,

Copmanthorpe,

York