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The Post Office scandal will be back in the spotlight today, when MPs hear evidence from a number of witnesses including campaigner and wronged sub-postmaster Alan Bates.

Mr Bates, whose story inspired the ITV hit drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, will appear in front of parliament’s Business and Trade Committee alongside other figures, including business minister Kevin Hollinrake and representatives from Fujitsu, which developed Horizon, the faulty IT system at the heart of the scandal.

MPs on the committee will quiz the witnesses about the process for delivering fair and timely compensation for the victims of the scandal, which occurred between 1999 and 2015.

What is the scandal about?

The Post Office Horizon IT scandal saw more than 700 sub-postmasters and mistresses convicted after faulty Fujitsu software made it appear as though money was missing from their branches.

Last Wednesday Rishi Sunak confirmed that all victims of the IT scandal will have their convictions quashed under fast-tracked legislation after growing pressure to take more serious action.

Number 10 also confirmed that sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses would be eligible for a £75,000 upfront payment with the new law, but acknowledged that would not be sufficient for everyone.

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Post Office victim: ‘I was spat on’

The move was prompted by the TV drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which chronicled the campaigners’ two-decade fight for justice and detailed the poor treatment they received at the hands of their employer.

Mr Sunak said last week that the government had paid almost £150m in compensation to over 2,500 victims and pledged that victims would be “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.

Who is appearing before the committee?

Among those who will give evidence to MPs today is Alan Bates, a key member of Justice For Sub-postmasters Alliance whom the ITV drama was named after.

Mr Bates, who was played by the actor Toby Jones in the drama, was one one of six lead claimants in the original court battle with the Post Office. He believes he was dismissed because he flagged up problems with the Horizon system.

Speaking to Sky News ahead of his questioning by MPs, Mr Bates said he had “one concern – and it’s to get the compensation right – that’s it.

“They should be moving heaven and earth to get it done and get it done fast.”

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‘The whole thing is unbelievable’

He will appear alongside Jo Hamilton, who was played by Monica Dolan and whose story also featured heavily in the series.

The sub-postmistress in South Warnborough, Hampshire, previously told Sky News of the pressure she faced to plead guilty and how she felt “backed into a corner”.

“I felt I had a gun held to my head and had no choice,” added Ms Hamilton.

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

“I was so terrified of going to prison, I couldn’t think of anything else. It was terrifying.”

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‘They made me look like a criminal’

Crucially, the committee will also hear from Paul Patterson, the chief executive of Fujitsu’s Europe arm – the first time an executive has answered questions on the scandal – and Nick Read the current chief executive of the Post Office.

Other witnesses include Dr Neil Hudgell, executive chairman of Hudgell Solicitors, the firm which represented 74 people who have already had their convictions quashed.

Read more:
Who are the key figures in Post Office scandal?
TV drama writer warned ‘nobody would watch’ programme
Post Office scandal: Horizon developer Fujitsu handed £6.8bn in public contracts since 2012

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom, the Tory peer and former MP who has campaigned on behalf of the sub-postmasters for nearly 15 years, will also give evidence.

Postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake – who has argued that figures at the Post Office who are found to be responsible for the scandal should be jailed as the “ultimate deterrent” – will also appear before MPs, as will Carl Cresswell, director of business resilience at the Department for Business and Trade.

What is happening at the Post Office inquiry hearing?

Separately, the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry will continue in London and will hear from Rajbinder Sangha, the release management coordinator of Fujitsu Services and former member of Fujitsu’s fraud and litigation support office.

A statutory inquiry opened in 2021 into what has been described as the “worst miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history”.

On Thursday at the inquiry, former investigator Stephen Bradshaw, who was involved in the criminal investigation of nine sub-postmasters, denied he and others “behaved like mafia gangsters” in the criminal probe of several sub-postmasters.

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Man suffers cardiac arrest onboard boat trying to reach UK

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Man suffers cardiac arrest onboard boat trying to reach UK

A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.

The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.

A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.

A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.

Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”

Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.

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Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.

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Protesters clash over asylum hotels

Provisional statistics from the Home Office suggest almost 24,000 people have arrived on small boats in the UK so far this year.

Towns and cities across the UK have seen protests in recent days, primarily outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers.

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Women’s Euros final: The Lionesses face Spain tonight – and they’re seeking revenge

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Women's Euros final: The Lionesses face Spain tonight - and they're seeking revenge

Here the Lionesses are again. Another final. Another showdown with Spain.

All of a sudden, what was once so anticipated and longed for can start to seem expected rather than extraordinary.

What happened to the great underachievers of world football? They are now consistently among the final two going for glory.

England wins
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At Euro 2022, the Lionesses ended England’s 56-year wait for a major trophy by beating Germany 2-1 after extra time. Pic: Reuters

No one is taking that for granted.

Especially not Leah Williamson, with the chance to retain the European Championship trophy lifted three years ago at Wembley.

“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”

So often they were only watching other nations making finals.

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England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.

England v Spain: All you need to know

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Lionesses ‘know what win would mean to nation’

Then, with the rebirth of women’s football after bans and neglect, it was the Lionesses’ turn to make it to the finals – in 1984 and 2009.

And the Three Lions had to wait until 2021 to make it to a final, losing to Italy on penalties at Wembley.

It kickstarted an incredible run of five successive years of finals for England senior teams – with another men’s Euros final defeat in 2024.

The Lionesses have led the way, bringing football home by defeating Germany in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley.

They just missed out on going one better when reaching a first Women’s World Cup final a year later.

Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Spain v England - Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia - August 20, 2023 England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts REUTERS/Carl Recine
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England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts to defeat against Spain at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Spain v England - Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia - August 20, 2023 England's Lauren James looks dejected after losing the world cup final REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
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Lauren James looks dejected after their World Cup defeat, but is confirmed fit for Sunday’s revenge match against Spain. Pic: Reuters

Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.

Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.

England fans celebrate after England beat Italy at Women's Euro 2025. Pic: Reuters
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England fans celebrating after England beat Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters

Soccer Football - FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Fans in Manchester watch Spain v England - Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, Britain - August 20, 2023 England fans watch the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
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Given England’s history against Spain, it could be a nerve-wracking time for England fans. File pic: Action Images/Reuters

But this is Spain’s first Euros final.

And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.

England celebrate after defeating Italy in the Women's Euro 2025 semi-final. Pic: Reuters
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England celebrate their semi-final win against Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters

Michelle Agyemang celebrates scoring her side's opening goal.
Pic: AP
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Michelle Agyemang has propelled England to the Euro 2025 final with two vital goals. Pic: AP

Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.

But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.

It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.

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Sarina Wiegman on the Euros final
Listen: Why Lucy Bronze is ‘golden girl’

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Spain’s players struggle for respect

“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.

“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”

It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.

Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.

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Unlicensed Botox-like injections spark outbreak of disease many doctors have never treated

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Unlicensed Botox-like injections spark outbreak of disease many doctors have never treated

A woman who thought she was being injected with Botox was left unable to swallow and doctors thought she had suffered a stroke – after she contracted a life-threatening illness from a potentially illegal product.

Nicola Fairley is one of dozens of people who have developed botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections.

She had the procedure done with her regular beautician after winning a Facebook competition for three areas of “Botox”.

Nicola Fairley
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Nicola Fairley

“Within two or three hours my forehead and the sides of my eyes had started to freeze,” Nicola says.

“At first I thought ‘amazing’, that’s what I wanted – then it just carried on.”

Nicola was eventually sent to A&E in Durham, where she met several other patients who all had similar symptoms.

Doctors were stumped. “They thought I’d had a stroke,” she says.

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“We all had problems with our eyes, some of us with our breathing. I couldn’t swallow – they put me on nil by mouth because they were worried I would choke in the waiting room.”

Nicola Fairley
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Doctors were worried Nicola could choke after she was injected with a suspected illegal product

It turns out all of the patients had recently had anti-wrinkle injections containing botulinum toxin.

Health officials believe they were imported, illegal products.

Botulism – the disease they caused – is so rare many doctors never see it in their entire careers.

It can cause symptoms including slurred speech and breathing problems, and can be deadly.

The disease is so unusual, and so many cases were coming in, that doctors exhausted their stocks of anti-toxin and had to ask hospitals as far away as London to get more.

Botulism

The UK Health Security Agency has so far confirmed 38 cases of botulism linked to cosmetic toxin injections, but Sky News has been told of several more.

The outbreak began in the North East but cases have now been seen in the East of England and East Midlands as well.

There are only a handful of legal botulinum toxin products in the UK – of which Botox is one.

But cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated, with anyone allowed to inject products like fillers and toxins without any medical training.

Cheap, illegal products imported from overseas are easily available.

Steven Land
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Dr Steven Land

‘It’s the Wild West’

Dr Steven Land runs Novellus Aesthetics clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked for decades as an emergency medicine doctor before moving into aesthetics.

He says he has been warning health officials of an outbreak for years.

“It’s the Wild West,” Dr Land told Sky News.

“Because anyone can do this, there is a lack of knowledge around what is legal, what’s not legal, what is okay to be injected.

“These illegal toxins could have 50 units, 5,000 units or rat poison – there could be anything in there.”

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Botulism

Dr Land showed us messages that he says he gets on a weekly basis, from sellers trying to push him cheap, unlicensed products.

They advertise “limited time offers” and cheap bundles on toxins imported from overseas. He calls them “drug dealers”.

“They are preying on the lack of knowledge among non-medical practitioners,” he says.

Consultations on how to regulate the aesthetics industry have been ongoing for years – but so far, no changes have been introduced.

The UK government now says it does plan to regulate certain procedures, but it’s not said how it will do this, or when.

“What will it take?” Nicola says. “One of the women we were with did almost die – she had to be resuscitated.”

Nicola’s beautician has stopped responding to her messages, so she says she still has no idea what the product was “or how much of it is in me”.

She doesn’t know how long her symptoms will last, but just hopes she will eventually recover.

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