Police are considering corporate manslaughter charges as part of their probe into the Post Office Horizon scandal.
In an update given to victims, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said there are now eight named suspects, with five having been interviewed under caution.
The NPCC added that there are now a total of 53 persons of interest involved in the investigation, widely reported to be the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history.
No arrests have yet been made, and a process of providing case file material to the Crown Prosecution Service is ongoing.
Around 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of Horizon, with a significant number contemplating self-harm and some taking their own lives.
The long-running battle for justice accelerated dramatically after ITV broadcast the drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which highlighted the scandal.
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.
Any potential criminal trials linked to the investigation are not expected to take place until 2027.
Investigators previously said they are looking at “a significant number of people” from the Post Office, Fujitsu and in the legal profession.
