Leading subpostmaster campaigners who have been made Officers of the British Empire – OBEs – have vowed they will “never give in” in their fight to help fellow Post Office scandal victims receive full and fair compensation.
Former Bridlington subpostmaster Lee Castleton, Seema Misra, Chris Head and Jo Hamilton were made OBEs for services to justice, in the King’s New Year Honours List. Sir Alan Bates, one of the prime-movers in the campaign, was knighted in 2024.
Mr Castleton told the PA news agency it was “wonderful” to be recognised alongside his fellow campaigners. He said: “Sometimes you have to step forward and shout as loud as you can because some of our group aren’t able to do that.”
He said: “I’m very honoured and very proud. Obviously, it’s one of those things where it’s not the end.”
Subpostmasters Janet Skinner, of Hull, and Lee Castleton, of Bridlington, arriving at the inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal in December, more than 1,000 days since it first opened
(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
Mr Castleton, now living in Scarborough, was wrongly found to have had a £25,000 shortfall at his Bridlington branch in 2004, and was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office. His case came under the spotlight last January when it featured heavily in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
Reflecting on what campaigning had been like since the drama, Mr Castleton said: “It’s been a complete turnaround really. We were all of a sudden being listened to, we feel very engaged.”
Asked whether he was proud to be honoured alongside his fellow campaigners, he said: “Absolutely. Sometimes you have to step forward and shout as loud as you can, because some of our group aren’t able to do that.
“It’s important that the ones that can do whatever it is at the time, do it, and the ones that can’t do it keep their powder dry for another day. It’s been one of the features of the group that we’ve always been able to provide the right person at the right time to shout from the hilltops.
“The best part about the whole journey, from the terrible, terrible times to now, is the people I’m surrounded by. They’re absolutely wonderful.”
He said his message to those in charge of redress for his fellow subpostmasters would be: “I would say you will be judged on your actions, not your words, and we will never give in.” More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
Hundreds are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “I’m pleased to see a group of Horizon sub-postmasters recognised in this New Year’s Honours List.
“They deserve special recognition for their tireless campaign for postmasters who have waited far too long to get justice – and whilst this Government has doubled the total which has been paid out, we remain committed to seeing justice done.”
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