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Post Office inquiry live: Ex-boss Paula Vennells arrives to give evidence - BBC News Post Office inquiry live: Ex-boss Paula Vennells sorry for suffering of sub-postmasters - BBC News
(32 minutes later)
Sam HancockSam Hancock
Reporting from the inquiryReporting from the inquiry
Paula Vennells - the former Post Office chief executive who earlier this year returned her CBE over the furore that was sparked by ITV's drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office - is already here at Aldwych House. Some of us in the room were saying before Paula Vennells came out that an apology was likely. And yet what she just said somehow still felt like a bit of a shock.
She made her way through a press scrum to get inside the inquiry building and is likely now going through some last-minute preparation with her legal team before being sworn in.The level of interest in the first of Vennells’ three days of evidence is clear from the number of people here - it’s absolutely packed. I've been to the inquiry quite a few times now and I've never seen it this busy. Turning her chair to face everyone watching today - including a number of former sub-postmasters and postmistresses - she said she was sorry for everything they and their families had "suffered" and was glad she could say so in person.
Among the crowd of people watching today are a number of former sub-postmasters and postmistresses - I can see Janet Skinner, Lee Castleton and Seema Misra as I type this post. Vennells said she had listened to all the personal statements of those affected and had been "very affected" by them. She said she'd answer all questions truthfully today, and acknowledged this would at times be difficult, but asked for some "understanding".
I noted a couple of headshakes in the crowd but very little else - it was a moment where the silence was really very palpable.
There are people in this room who were sent to prison on the basis of convictions brought by the Post Office, which have since been overturned. That must've been a very big moment for them, whether they accept Vennells' apology or not.
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