 At the public inquiry, Inspecting Officer Major C.F.Rose held the signalman at Gerrards Cross chiefly to blame, although he did note that the signalman had only been qualified for a month and had been appointed through a job centre because nobody could be recruited internally.In addition to his inexperience, the signalling between Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe was unusually complex, with several track circuit block sections and intermediate block sections.