THE POST OFFICE’S “malignant culture” destroyed the lives of the victims of the Horizon IT scandal, not the system, an inquiry heard today.

Ex-chief executive Paula Vennells was “more bored than outraged by subpostmasters’ complaints” as more than 900 were prosecuted due to the faulty system making it look like money was missing from their accounts, said Edward Henry KC.

“Such heartlessness came from the top,” said the KC in his closing submission to Horizon IT scandal inquiry chairman Sir Wyn Williams.