ITV ‘overwhelmed by the power of our Post Office drama’

Actors and staff behind an ITV drama about the Post Office Horizon IT scandal have been left “proud and overwhelmed by the power our drama has had”.

Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells will hand back her CBE after the airing of Mr Bates Vs The Post Office brought the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters to further attention.

The four-part series stars Toby Jones as Alan Bates along with a cast that includes Will Mellor, Monica Dolan and Julie Hesmondhalgh.

On Tuesday, Polly Hill, head of drama at ITV, said: “We commissioned this drama because it was a story that demanded to be told.

“Like everyone watching the show, I couldn’t believe what had happened. We all just wanted the drama to help get that story heard by as many people as we could.

“We are all proud and overwhelmed by the power our drama has had. Alan, Jo, Lee, Jess and every subpostmaster and subpostmistress are being heard now, and it looks like they will finally get the justice they deserve.

“ITV is proud to have told this story and to support the subpostmasters.”

Ministers are also drawing up plans on Tuesday to speed up the clearing of wrongful criminal convictions.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after faulty Fujitsu accounting software Horizon made it look like money was missing from their shops.

Kevin Lygo, managing director of media and entertainment at ITV, said: “The unwavering success of Mr Bates Vs The Post Office demonstrates the undeniable power of TV, particularly public service broadcasting.

“Aside from it being a ratings hit, dramatising the story with such a high calibre of British actors has reignited the campaign for justice nearly 25 years on, for a group of ordinary people – and the entire nation is behind them.”