Ex-Post Office bosses Cook and Crozier appearing at inquiry

We’ll be hearing from Alan Cook first this morning. He was managing director of the Post Office from 2006 to 2010, a fairly long period which covers some of the key years when the Horizon scandal was unfolding.

Former Post Office chairman Sir Michael Hodgkinson said Cook was recruited for the role for his “substantial financial services experience and a close relationship with the government”.

He has previously told the Milton Keynes Citizen he would “never forgive himself” for not knowing about the wrongful prosecution of sub-postmasters, and said he was not aware of problems with Horizon until shortly before he left.

Cook has held senior positions at a number of well-known businesses, including a controversial spell running the insurance company LV= during a failed attempt to sell the company to a US firm.

He has also been involved with the Highways Agency, Department of Transport, Financial Ombudsman Service and Office of Fair Trading.

BBC News has previously revealed he was paid more than £3m during his time at the Post Office.