Mr Bates vs The Post Office: The true story behind drama on Horizon IT scandal

Published

1 year ago

January 4, 2024

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The new year has brought with it a gripping, scandalous new TV drama – but the tale it tells is very real.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office depicts the story of former subpostmasters and subpostmistresses who were held liable by the Post Office for financial discrepancies thrown up by its computerised accounting system, Horizon.

Their pursuit led to more than 700 prosecutions, criminal convictions and, in some cases, prison sentences.

The four-part ITV drama, which concludes on Thursday, aims to share some of their stories with a wider audience.

Many of those pursued were told to plead guilty to crimes or face prison, according to lawyers who have represented dozens of those impacted.

They were forced to pay the Post Office money it claimed had gone missing, which meant many lost their jobs, homes and lifesavings.

In 2019, Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance won a High Court case, led by former subpostmaster Alan Bates – the drama’s titular Mr Bates as played by Toby Jones.

That case found “bugs, errors and defects in the Horizon system caused discrepancies in postmasters’ branch accounts”.

Mr Bates ran a post office in the seaside resort of Llandudno in North Wales.

“This is an enormously complex and vastly diverse story, which has now been made into a drama. It’s not a factual documentary about what went on, it’s a drama to engage people,” he said.

“So some things have had to be summarised – years have had to be chopped out because they have to take the plot forward. I suppose that’s understandable.

“It couldn’t cover all of the human loss and suffering – there are hundreds and hundreds of people and families who have been affected. What I hope people will realise is that in many cases, even now, the real story is not finished.”

Noel Thomas, 77, from Anglesey, was another former subpostmaster who was wrongfully convicted.

His conviction of false accounting in 2006 was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2021.

In Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Mr Thomas was played by actor Ifan Huw Dafydd.

Mr Thomas told Sky News the response he’d had to the dramatisation of his story and that of his former colleagues was “fantastic”.

“It’s great to be honest. It’s shown the hero we had in Alan Bates, and lots of other people, in the press, and some MPs too to be honest with you,” he said.

“They’ve been great with us. But the story wasn’t being shared widely enough.”

Mr Thomas first came across Alan Bates when former Welsh language current affairs programme Taro Naw found more people who had been affected.

“I have to say, Alan Bates led us,” he said.

“I was a postman and the way I can describe Alan is – as a postman you don’t like dogs, the dog would get hold of you and not let go – and Alan is exactly the same. Once he’s got hold of something he’s not going to let go.”

But while Mr Thomas is glad more people now know what happened to him, some scenes were difficult to relive.

“Going into the cell hit me. Because, unfortunately, I was sent to Walton [a prison in Liverpool],” he said.

“Thank heavens I was only there for two days. But I was locked up. I was only let out to get food. Half an hour at lunchtime and half an hour to three quarters at night. The rest of the time I was locked up.”

Mr Thomas said he has “discussed very little about being inside” with his family.

“I’ve kept it more or less to myself, and the way I’ve dealt with it is we live in a lovely place in Anglesey and we go out and walk a lot,” he said.

“I’ve spoken with some of my friends who I contact often and they’ve been shocked to see what’s come out.”

Who are some of the other victims?

Jo Hamilton was the subpostmaster in South Warnborough, Hampshire, played in the dramatisation by Monica Dolan.

Ms Hamilton previously told Sky News she felt “backed into a corner”.

“They said if I pleaded guilty to false accounting and paid the £36,000 shortfall, they would drop the theft charge,” she said.

“I felt I had a gun held to my head and had no choice.”

Will Mellor plays Lee Castleton, who the actor describes as “an everyday guy”.

“He’s got his wife and two children and he runs the local Post Office. He’s just an average person, like most of these people are.”

Martin Griffiths, a father of two, was pursued by the Post Office for alleged shortfalls of £60,000.

The third episode of the dramatisation shows how the establishment of a mediation scheme came too late for him as he took his own life.

Other victims featured in the drama include Saman Kaur, Michael Rudkin, Pam Stubbs.

Only some of the hundreds whose lives were changed forever.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

Entertainment

Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

Published

12 hours ago

March 6, 2025

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The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo will be among the stars headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, it has been announced.

Glastonbury organisers have revealed the line-up for this summer’s event, taking place between 25 June and 29 June, after months of speculation.

The 1975 will take to the iconic Pyramid Stage on the Friday to headline, then Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young will perform on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on the Sunday.

Other big names performing include British pop sensation Charli XCX, rapper Loyle Carner electronic group The Prodigy.

The announcement comes after Sir Rod Stewart was booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot and Young was confirmed as a headliner earlier this year.

Young’s announcement in January came amid some confusion, as he had days before told fans he was pulling out of the festival because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.

The Canadian singer-songwriter later said this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.

The 1975 will be headlining for the first time, having made their Glastonbury debut in 2014.

The Cheshire band, known for hits such as Somebody Else and Chocolate, have regularly made headlines due to the antics of frontman Matty Healy.

Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.

Appetite for the esteemed festival saw standard tickets sell out in 35 minutes in November.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up £18.50 from the price from the 2024 festival, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

The date for the resale – where tickets not fully paid for are put back up for purchase – is set for some time in spring.

The headliners last summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

Entertainment

Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2025

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Ofcom received 825 complaints over the Brit Awards, with the majority relating to Sabrina Carpenter’s raunchy performance and Charli XCX’s outfit, the media watchdog says.

US pop star Carpenter, 25, sported a red sparkly military-style blazer dress for her performance at the awards show on Saturday night, paired with stockings and suspenders for a rendition of Espresso.

The song was mixed with a Rule Britannia mash-up, as dancers in military parade dress followed her.

She then switched to a red sparkly bra and shorts for her next song, Bad Chem, which she performed alongside dancers in bras and shorts while sitting suggestively on a large bed.

Carpenter later received the global success award at the ceremony, and was also nominated in the international artist and international song of the year categories.

But much of the buzz on social media surrounded her performance, which took place before the 9pm watershed.

Ofcom said some of the complaints were also aimed at British pop sensation Charli XCX, who dominated the night by winning five awards, including album of the year.

Some viewers took issue with her outfit – a black see-through dress.

The singer addressed the concerns during her acceptance speech for artist of the year, saying: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”

Carpenter paid tribute to the UK in her acceptance speech, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”

Entertainment

Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2025

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Actor Noel Clarke begins his High Court libel case against The Guardian’s publisher today.

Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles it published about him in April 2021.

They were based on the claims of 20 women Clarke knew “in a professional capacity” who allege his behaviour towards them amounted to sexual misconduct.

Clarke, known for his roles in the Kidulthood trilogy and Dr Who, “vehemently” denies “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.

What will the trial cover?

Clarke is suing GNM for libel, sometimes also referred to as defamation.

It’s a civil tort – not a criminal offence – defined as false written statements that have damaged the person’s reputation. This means Clarke can seek redress or damages but no one will face charges or prison.

Clarke claims the articles The Guardian published in 2021 altered public opinion of him, damaged his reputation, and lost him work.

He said after the allegations emerged: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me.

“If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The Guardian is defending the claim on the basis of truth and public interest.

It said in its statement: “Our reporting on Noel Clarke in 2021 was based on the accounts of 20 brave women. After we published our first article, more women came forward.

“At trial, 32 witnesses are set to testify against Mr Clarke under oath. We look forward to a judge hearing the evidence.”

The trial will only focus on liability – not the amount of damages to be paid if Clarke is successful.

The actor tried and failed to get the case struck out in January, with his legal team saying it had “overwhelming evidence” of “perversion of the course of justice”.

His lawyers told the High Court three of the journalists involved in the articles had “deliberately and permanently” deleted messages, which meant he could not get a fair trial.

Lawyers for GNM told the court there was “no adequate evidential basis” for Clarke’s application for a strike out and said it sought “to smear Guardian journalists and editors without any proper justification”.

The trial, which will be presided over by judge Mrs Justice Steyn, is expected to last between four and six weeks.

What has happened since the articles were published?

A month before the articles about him were published in April 2021, Clarke received BAFTA’s outstanding contribution to British cinema award.

However, once the allegations against him emerged, he was suspended by the organisation and the prize rescinded.

His management and production company 42M&P told Sky News they were no longer representing him and Sky cancelled its TV show Bulletproof, starring Clarke and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters as the lead roles.

ITV also decided to pull the finale of another of his dramas, Viewpoint, following the Guardian articles.

The Met Police looked into the allegations against Clarke for any potential criminal wrongdoing, but in March 2022 announced they “did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation”.

Clarke filed the libel claim the following month and has attended several of the preliminary hearings in person.

He says he has faced a “trial by media” – and that the ordeal has left him suicidal and in need of professional help.

‘Rising star’

Clarke made his TV debut in a revived version of Auf Wiedersehen Pet in 2002.

Soon after he played Mickey Smith in Dr Who and Kwame in the six-part Channel 4 series Metrosexuality.

He wrote and starred in the film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, which were based in west London, where he grew up, and explored the lives of a group of teenagers given time off school after a bullied classmate takes their own life.

It was a box office success and eventually saw Clarke given BAFTA’s rising star prize in 2009.