Actor Will Mellor makes impassioned plea for justice for victims of Post Office scandal

  • Will Mellor and former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton talking to ITV Granada Reports

Actor Will Mellor has made an impassioned plea for those caught up in the Post Office scandal "to get the compensation and justice they deserve".

He has called for the Post Office bosses in charge at the time of the Horizon scandal to finally tell the truth over faults with their accounting software.

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces a new law that would be introduced so people wrongly convicted in the scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.

The former Coronation Street actor from Stockport plays sub-postmaster Lee Castleton in ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which tells the story of a long-running campaign to expose faults with the Horizon IT system, in which hundreds of Post Office staff were wrongfully accused of theft and fraud.

Ministers under pressure act fast to address Horizon Post Office scandal

More than 700 Post Office staff were falsely prosecuted based on erroneous data from the firm's Horizon computer system, which was developed by Fujitsu.

Mellor said when the cast were playing the scenes, "they couldn't believe what they did to these people."

He said: "I am glad it has given the sub-postmasters a voice and to see it is making a difference."

Will Mellor portrays one of the victims who was made bankrupt after failing with the Horizon IT system Credit: ITV

Ministers are under pressure to address the miscarriage of justice suffered by hundreds of sub-postmasters, as public anger over the Horizon IT scandal saw former Post Office boss Paula Vennells hand back her CBE.

Mellor said the returning of Ms Vennells’ CBE was the “first step”.

He added, "Lets get them the justice they deserve, stop kicking the can along the road, and it looks like the country has come together to make that happen."

Will Mellor on the real-life story behind his new role

Lee Castleton, from Scarborough said they had lived with the scandal for 20 years. He had tried to inform the Post Office when he noticed a glitch in the computer software, but he claims they didn’t seem to care. 

He had to represent himself in the High Court and was then made bankrupt and has yet to receive any compensation.

Describing the impact, he said: "It was the systematic crushing of families. From the 23 March 2004 my family suffered inexplicably."

"The Post Office knew what was going to happen to those who went against the Horizon system and that it would cause so much duress and problems, but there was nothing you could do about it.

"I was just completely unable to stop anything".

Watch the trailer for ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office

Mellor and Castleton shared a hug, as the former sub-postmaster said he was very "grateful "to Will and the ITV drama.

Mr Castleton said Ministers had to expedite matters after they had been "waiting a very long time and had been blocked at every turn."

The actor added: “It shouldn’t take a TV drama to make this much of a difference, but I’m glad it did. But this is just the start."

Mellor, also known for his roles in Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet of Crisps and Coronation Street, said the role is “bigger than anything I’ve ever done before”, and all he “needed” was Mr Castleton saying he was happy with the portrayal.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to stream on ITVX.

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