Why the real Mr Bates has turned down OBE over Post Office scandal

3 January 2024, 10:47

By Alice Dear

Alan Bates, the man who has inspired the ITV drama Mr Bates VS The Post Office, has revealed why he has turned down his OBE.

Alan Bates, 69, was honoured with an OBE this year, however, has since turned it down for a very important reason.

The 69 year-old is currently being portrayed by Toby Jones in ITV's drama based on the British Post Office scandal which saw the wrongful prosecution of many innocent workers.

While Alan won a Pride of Britain award last year, the campaigner for justice has since turned down an OBE for a very important reason.

Speaking to The Mirror, Alan explained: "The first thing that sprang to my mind while reading the letter was Paula Vennells still had a CBE. I felt so deeply insulted."

Paula Vennells is the former Post Office boss who many blame for the miscarriage of justice, and who was awarded a CBE back in 2019.

"She presided over a policy of harassing hundreds of innocent people", Alan said: "It’s not just that the Government hasn’t asked her to return it. What’s even worse is that despite knowing the strength of feeling about it, how people have suffered and some cases died on her watch – she doesn’t feel inclined to give it back."

In 1998, Alan and his wife Suzanna bought a Post Office in Llandudno, North Wales: "We planned for a few years of hard work setting up, then relaxing a bit with time to explore interests. For me, it was hiking in nearby Snowdonia, while Suzanne could paint. But then it all turned into a bit of a battleground."

In 2000, the Post Office introduced the Horizon IT system which, due to system errors, later caused the wrongful prosecution of many innocent workers.

Alan Bates lead the campaign against the Post Office for decades, which included a High Court case in a Group Litigation Order covering 555 claimants.

At the time, Judge Mr Justice Fraser ruled that computer errors were to blame and in December 2019, the Post Office agreed to pay £58million in compensation to those falsely prosecuted.

The group, however, were only left with £12million after legal costs, which worked out as around £20,000 each.

Most recently, in September 2020, an independent public inquiry into the scandal, chaired by retired judge Sir Wyn Williams was established. In 2021, it became a statutory inquiry and is still ongoing.