A Surrey sub-postmistress who was wrongly accused of stealing from the Post Office has vowed to continue the fight after being named in the King’s New Year’s Honours. Seema Misra wants to continue to shine a light to help fellow Post Office scandal victims receive full and fair compensation.
Mrs Misra worked at the West Byfleet Post Office before she was wrongly accused of theft and false accounting. She was pregnant when she jailed in 2010. She has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for her services to justic, and told PA she hoped it would “give more weight to the fight” for justice and redress.
She said: “I wasn’t expecting it but, as we know, the fight is still on. I was very honoured, at least they have realised that the scandal happened.
“But it is still ongoing, it hasn’t finished yet. My aim is to be able to show this is still happening and to get proper full and fair compensation for everybody, and most importantly accountability.”
Mrs Misra added: “It will give more weight to the fight and we need to keep reminding people the scandal hasn’t been sorted out yet. It’s one of the main reasons I accepted it – to remind people that the scandal hasn’t gone yet.”
Mrs Misra, ran a Post Office in West Byfleet, in 2005, but was suspended in 2008. She was handed a 15-month prison sentence on her son’s 10th birthday in November 2010, after being accused of stealing £74,000.
Mrs Misra said: “I used to say ‘God, why me?’ because I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. I laugh about it now but I came up with the answer myself – God probably wants some strong people to come forward to fight the Post Office. So it’s definitely given me a purpose in life.”
Her conviction was quashed in April 2021, along with 38 others, after a decade-long fight.
Alongside Mrs Misra postmasters Lee Castleton, Chris Head and Jo Hamilton were also given OBEs for services to justice, after Sir Alan Bates was knighted earlier this year.
Mr Castleton told the PA news agency it was “wonderful” to be recognised alongside his fellow campaigners, adding: “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. It’s just sad that it’s been prolonged and protracted by the other side and it would be nice to just draw a line under everything with something like this – but onwards and upwards.”
Mr Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was found to have had a £25,000 shortfall at his branch in 2004, and was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office. His case came under the spotlight in 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.
“Whilst it’s frustrating that the actual people making the decisions on redress and accountability aren’t listening, the whole of the nation seems like they’re very much behind us. It’s very uplifting and it really does make you feel emotional about it, really.”
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 Years 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.”