Alan Bates is a former sub-postmaster who led the campaign to expose the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.
He ran the Post Office at Craig-y-Don, Llandudno from March 1998 until November 2003. The Horizon IT system was installed at his branch shortly after he took charge. As with other sub-postmasters, he noticed money – thousands of pounds at a time – going missing from his books.
He refused to make up the shortfall, despite the Post Office’s demands, convinced the Fujitsu computing system was to blame.
Bates later founded the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) and he and five others took the Post Office to the High Court.
The former sub-postmaster continues to campaign for all those affected in the Horizon scandal and for a government compensation scheme. His story and the scandal was the subject of ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
Toby Jones, who played Bates, has said it was one of the most difficult roles of his career.
“He was constantly denying the fact that he was worthy of being the subject of the drama, because his life is totally preoccupied with achieving justice for sub-postmasters,” Jones said of Bates.
