Post Office Horizon scandal could see manslaughter charges brought as probe identifies eight new suspects

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said an update has been provided to the victims, in which they said there are now eight named suspects, five of which have been interviewed under caution.

They added that there are now a total of 53 "persons of interests involved in the investigation," which is widely reported to be the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history.

Around 1,000 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of faulty computer system Horizon.

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it led to a significant number contemplating self-harm and some taking their own lives.

The NPCC said they continue to focus on potential charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice, but are now additionally considering corporate manslaughter charges.

Police previously said the probe is "unprecedented" in size, with potentially more than 3,000 victims and evidence including more than 1.5 million documents.

The long-running battle for justice accelerated dramatically after ITV broadcast the drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which highlighted the scandal.

Last month, former sub-postmaster Mr Bates agreed a multi-million pound deal over the scandal, more than 20 years after he began campaigning to shed light on it.

It was understood Sir Alan’s final settlement was between £4m and £5m.

In a statement confirming his claim had been settled, the Department for Business and Trade said: "We pay tribute to Sir Alan Bates for his long record of campaigning on behalf of victims and have now paid out over £1.2 billion to more than 9,000 victims.

"We can confirm that Sir Alan’s claim has reached the end of the scheme process and been settled."