New TV drama tells true story of Lincolnshire postmasters’ fight for justice

Tom Hedges became authorised as a Lay Minister earlier this year and led the carol service at St Mary's Church Hogsthorpe, on Friday and also the Christmas morning service.

He says his calling to the church and his faith have given him the strength he has needed while awaiting full compensation for his ordeal – a story soon to be told in a new star-studded television drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Between 2000 and 2015, the Post Office held thousands of its own sub postmasters and postmistresses liable for financial discrepancies thrown up by Horizon, its hugely expensive but unreliable computerized accounting system.

More than 700 sub-postmasters – including Mr Hedges – were prosecuted between 2000 and 2014 after a bug in the computer system Horizon led to financial shortfalls in branch accounts.

Some had been imprisoned for crimes they never committed. In addition to Mr Hedges, others from Lincolnshire wrongly convicted on false accounting charges included Sheila Coultas, from Stamford and Gillian and David Blakey of Grimsby.

As well as losing his job and the respect of the village he loved at the age of 57, Mr Hedges was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

In spite of it all, Mr Hedges explains his reason for being able to speak of joy at this festive time. He said: "I have always said that it was my faith and my family that got me through all the troubles and now I feel a need to give back.”

However, after spreading the message of joy and spending time with his family, Mr Hedges says he can’t to sit back and see how ITV have depicted the scandal.

The drama tells the story of the 39 postmasters who in April 2021 had their names formally cleared in a landmark Court of Appeal decision. For the men and women involved, including Mr Hedges, it marked the end of a 20-year legal battle.

“I cannot wait for the airing of the first episode,” said Tom, who moved to Chapel St Leonards with his wife, Carol, after losing his post office in Hogsthorpe.

“About a year ago I spoke at length with researchers from ITV who were putting this series together, but have no idea whether I will be featured or not.

"All I can say is that whatever stories are depicted mine will be very similar in many ways, but of course it will have its own unique flavour.”

The drama highlights the moment the wrongly accused postmasters were finally vindicated. Mr Hedges recalls standing with others outside the Court of Appeal opening a bottle of fizz from Aldi, paid for by his 93-year-old mother. He described it as “a wonderful afternoon”.

Mr Hedges says he had been to "hell and back", along with all the victims in the group who had "fought and fought" to clear their names.

For many the fight for compensation continues. “I only know of a handful of victims who have been fully compensated and, personally,” he said. “I have only had an interim payment and my lawyers are hoping to finalise things in the New Year, but they said that last December.”

In spite of having no idea if his story will be featured in the drama, Mr Hedges says he knows Mr Bates.

"I have been friends with Alan Bates for nearly 15 years and was involved in the action and pressure group he formed Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance,” said Mr Hedges.

"It was this body that fought long and hard to get to where we are today.”

After spreading the message of joy in church, Mr Hedges celebrated Christmas with his family on Boxing Day. “New Year is not really something we get very worked up about at our age,” he said. “If think we shall save ourselves to watch Bates v PO on News Year’s Day.”

If anything, Mr Hedges says he believes the series will inspire him and the others involved to fight on.

He said: “They wrecked my life 13 years ago and I will not let then ‘screw me over’ when it comes to paying for that. So I and many other victims fight on.”

Mr Bates v The Post Office

The drama narrates how in 2009, a group of sub postmasters from across the UK decided enough was enough and formed the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance.

It has already been welcomed by the title character, Alan Bates.

Mr Bates told ITV: “Over the years a lot of words have been written about how lives have been wrecked by an out of control

government organisation.

"However, they have never come close to expressing the true horrors that have been inflicted on people.

"I think this drama is the first time anything has come close to getting across the suffering many of the victims have had to cope with.”

The strong cast including Happy Valley, Broadchurch stars sees BAFTA award-winning Toby Jones (Empire of Light, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Detectorists) in the role of Mr Bates.

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Mr Bates v The Post Office has prime-time TV slots: the first 60-minute episode will air on New Year’s Day at 9pm on ITV and ITVX, followed by three further episodes on consecutive evenings at 9pm. Also being aired in the first week of January is an ITV documentary on the scandal Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Real Story. It will go out on the same evening as the final episode, 4 January, at 10.45pm.