OK -- I knew individuals could bring private prosecutions but I wasn't aware, I must admit, that the Royal Mail prosecuted as an "individual" now[0], and I stan

OK -- I knew individuals could bring private prosecutions but I wasn't aware, I must admit, that the Royal Mail prosecuted as an "individual" now[0], and I stand happily corrected :-) Though strictly speaking, before the concept of the "private prosecution" was formalised in law, the Royal Mail already had prosecutorial powers; it has always had prosecutorial powers. (The Royal Mail basically invented investigation-backed prosecution in the 17th century). The Royal Mail is for sure one of the only major organisations to do it at scale too -- though the RSPCA did. The RSPCA have announced that they will no longer do it at all (not least because they have a terrible record of poorly founded and abusive prosecutions and had their arses handed to them in the High Court). The point I was making here is that this investigation would never have gone to the police, because they have always reserved and widely wielded this power to investigate and prosecute. The Royal Mail even prosecute dog owners whose dogs bite postmen. [0] which if you think about it presumably now imperils some individuals in a way that is distinct even from the extent to which Royal Mail (and Post Office Ltd) are vulnerable corporately.