Sir Alan Bates

Sir Alan Bates born 1954 is a former subpostmaster and a leading campaigner for victims of the British Post Office scandal in which thousands of subpostmasters were accused of dishonesty when faulty Post Office accounting software created shortfalls in their accounts After the Post Office terminated his contract in 2003 over a false shortfall he sought out other subpostmasters in the same position and went on to found the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance in 2009 The group took the Post Office to court and following two favourable judgments in Bates Others v Post Office Ltd accepted a settlement of 5775 million which left the 555 claimants with little money after legal fees were paid Bates has continued to campaign for fair compensation for subpostmasters He was knighted in June 2024 for his campaigning and the following month received an honorary degree from Bangor University