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Hundreds of Post Office workers wrongly convicted in one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history are to have their convictions quashed after a TV drama prompted a public outcry.

Between 1999 and 2015 more than 900 people were convicted and 230 of them imprisoned on charges of theft, fraud and false accounting. Thousands more were accused. Many lost their livelihoods, their homes and families. Some committed suicide.

In 2019, the High Court ruled that a computer accounting system 鈥� Horizon -- developed by Japanese company Fujitsu and installed by the Post Office 鈥� which is owned by the government -- was falsely indicating cash shortfalls. The government ordered an inquiry into the affair in 2020 but, so far, only 93 people have had their convictions quashed.

However 鈥� that looks set to change following the recent TV drama -- Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

Former Post Office boss, Paula Vennells has agreed to hand back her CBE 鈥� the highest-ranking order of the British Empire -- after more than one million people signed a petition and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says a new Bill, which will grant unprecedented blanket acquittal for those wrongly convicted, will be introduced 鈥渨ithin weeks鈥�.

Tracey Merritt ran two rural post offices in Dorset but was dismissed for 鈥榠nappropriate use of funds鈥� in 2009. She told Newsday: 鈥淚t affected my life in every way鈥�you go from buying a post office, being proud, becoming part of the community鈥�having a plan. You鈥檙e going to do that until you retire and then hand it over to your children to suddenly somebody coming into your building and saying, 鈥榃e鈥檙e taking the lot, everything鈥�. Your shop gets shut down, your reputation goes, they invade your house. You end up with no pension, no money, no savings because they鈥檝e taken it all鈥�They鈥檙e telling you you鈥檝e done this and you know you haven鈥檛, but you鈥檙e told you鈥檙e the only one鈥�so you don鈥檛 know who to turn to, what to do, how to defend yourself.鈥�

She adds, actions being taken by the authorities now, 鈥渟hould have been done years ago. We鈥檝e carried on suffering all this time waiting for a (film series) to come out. I mean is that really justice?...Until someone strips away the power of the Post Office鈥�what can you celebrate?鈥�

(Picture: Shows a Post Office shop in Great Dunmow, England. Credit: Carl Court via Getty Images.)

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