Paula Vennells apologises as she admits her evidence at Post Office scandal inquiry will be 'difficult to listen to'

Paula Vennells today apologised to all subpostmasters and their families affected by the Post Office scandal as she admitted her evidence at the inquiry will be 'difficult to listen to'.

The former Post Office CEO has started giving her highly-anticipated evidence at the Horizon IT inquiry in London on Wednesday. After being sworn in under oath, the 65-year-old ordained priest issued a full apology to the subpostmasters affected by the scandal, the Mirror reports.

She said she was 'grateful for the opportunity to give evidence but said that some of the questions and her answers 'may be difficult to listen to'. Issuing a statement at the beginning of the hearing, Ms Vennells said: "I would just like to say, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this, how sorry I am for all that subpostmasters and their families and others have suffered as a result of all of the matters that the inquiry is looking into."

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She added: "I would also like to repeat the apology, which is in my witness statement, to Alan Bates, to Ron Warmington and Iain Henderson from Second Sight and to Lord Arbuthnot. I, and those I worked with, made their work so much harder, and I'm very, very sorry for that.

"And my third apology is really about today, because I will answer the questions truthfully and I am very aware they will be difficult to listen to - for you and for me - and I ask for your understanding in advance of that."

As his first major question to Ms Vennells, counsel to the inquiry Jason Beer KC said: “Do you think you are the unluckiest CEO in the United Kingdom?”

Ms Vennells replied: “As the inquiry has heard, there was information I wasn’t