- 10 hours ago
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00:08Well, I tend to go for a seven, a double missing, because my tension's too tight, but seven and a
00:13half, I think, yeah.
00:14One first-class stump there, Megan.
00:17Twenty-eight papers.
00:18How much?
00:19I know, daylight robbery.
00:22That's the post office for you.
00:57Oh, Alan.
00:58Alan.
00:59Alan Bates.
00:59Management.
01:00Well, thugs in suits.
01:02You know why we're here, Alan.
01:04And you know you're a day early.
01:06Oi, there's a queue here.
01:08I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this post office is now closed.
01:12Not yet, it isn't.
01:13That's 2.39, Tom, please.
01:15Alan.
01:16Come on, let us in, please.
01:17Yeah.
01:19If you'd like to make an appointment for after my so-called contract ends, I shall inspect my diary for
01:25a window.
01:26We have a right of entry.
01:27I'm the sub postmaster, so I'm locked in, and everyone else is locked out.
01:32So, if you want to see my accounts, you'll have to come back tomorrow.
01:42Right.
01:43Come on.
01:44You're going to need some help.
01:45Right.
01:46I'm calling the police.
01:48Sorry about that, Tom.
01:50I'm calling from Prager down the post office.
01:54They're not calling me a thief.
01:56They wouldn't dare.
01:58They say money's somehow gone missing from this branch, which it hasn't.
02:02And I have to pay it back, which I won't.
02:05So, I say, prove it.
02:07Prove that I'm wrong, and you're right.
02:10Show me the figures.
02:11But they can't, or won't, do that.
02:13Alan.
02:14So, now they want to close me down to shut me up.
02:17That's ridiculous.
02:18Because they don't want everyone knowing what I know.
02:21Which is?
02:22That the fancy new computer system that they've spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.
02:27No-one else has ever reported any problems with Horizon.
02:31No-one.
02:32I don't believe you.
02:34So, no actual crime has been committed here today?
02:38Well, Post Office Limited is stealing my livelihood, my shop, my job, my home, my life savings, my good name.
02:51Civil matter.
02:53Right, so, you're getting back to the day job.
02:55Might want to come back tomorrow, sir.
03:01How exactly do you sleep at night?
03:07Same time tomorrow.
03:20Can't be just us, can it?
03:27Good morning, Mary Ann.
03:28Good morning, Joe.
03:29All right?
03:31Hello, Jay.
03:32Good all right?
03:33Good morning, Joe.
03:35Good morning, Joe.
03:36Good morning, Joe.
03:36All right, Trevor, Nazia.
03:39Good morning, Mary.
03:39Good morning.
03:40Good morning.
03:41With you in a minute.
03:42No rush.
03:43Good morning, Joe.
03:44Oh!
03:49Oh, you smell good.
03:51Don't turn your back.
03:53They'll all be gone.
03:57That's better, Diane.
03:58I can't find it anywhere.
04:00It's my pension book.
04:01I can't find it anywhere.
04:02Yeah, you haven't lost your pension book.
04:04I keep it in my drawer, remember?
04:15Sorry.
04:17Spinning plates.
04:19Well, it's as much as I can do to get myself into court every morning with my hair brushed.
04:22A dozen first class, please.
04:24Whisper it legal-eagle, but I'm happier baking.
04:28Bookkeeping.
04:29Accounts and computers.
04:31Not so much.
04:35Thanks, Diane.
04:36A good day.
04:39No job, no income.
04:42Nowhere to live.
04:43All our hopes, dreams, all our savings down the pan.
04:51And it's killing us, Alan.
04:54Hair's actually falling out.
05:05I'm not letting the post office get away with it.
05:08They already did.
05:18Come on.
05:19Concentrate.
05:21Well, I'm thinking somewhere quiet.
05:24Up in the hills.
05:26I can walk.
05:27You can paint.
05:28Am I not allowed to walk?
05:31Just tell me how we're going to afford any of these places.
05:35We'll work.
05:36It's what people do.
05:39Now, come on, Suzanne.
05:41If we're going to walk away, let's do it with our heads held high.
05:44Okay.
05:48And so they head off into an uncertain future.
05:52On the plus side, it won't be us hanging around on the phone anymore.
05:59Horizon helpline.
06:00Thank you for waiting.
06:01Oh, no.
06:03Horizon helpline.
06:05Thank you for waiting.
06:09Hello.
06:09How can I help?
06:10Oh, hi.
06:12It's Jo Hamilton here from South Warmbra.
06:14I'm trying to produce this week's cash account.
06:16And what's the problem?
06:18I know it's probably me because I'm really rubbish with technology, but I've declared my cash.
06:23I've declared my stock.
06:24I've done it all three times, and I still can't get it to balance.
06:27I hate Wednesdays.
06:29And what does Horizon say?
06:32It says I've taken £2,032.67 more than I think I have.
06:39Okay.
06:40Redeclare your stockholding.
06:43So that will automatically create a discrepancy.
06:45Okay?
06:46It'll have inflated your cashholding.
06:47So now I want you to reverse that difference.
06:51Right-o.
06:53So now, if you redeclare everything, it'll balance, okay?
06:56This is so helpful, thank you.
06:58Don't go away.
06:59Stay with me till I've done it.
07:05Oh, my God.
07:08It's just doubled right in front of my eyes.
07:11Now it says I'm £4,000 down.
07:14It'll sort itself out, these things do.
07:16In the meantime...
07:17I was only doing what you told me.
07:20In the meantime, you'll need to make good the loss.
07:23I haven't got that money.
07:25And I don't know where it's gone.
07:27I'm sorry.
07:28You are responsible for balancing your account and making good any shortfalls.
07:55You did your best, love.
07:56Well, wrote a lot of letters.
08:00MPs, ministers, post office chairmen, daily telegraph, computer weekly.
08:05I would have thought they'd have shown an interest, at least.
08:07Putting it behind us now.
08:33Er, I thought we were walking away.
08:36Backburner.
08:37We did say I could have that spare room for my sewing room.
08:40No problem.
08:45Alan?
08:47Opa, yeah.
08:51Careful.
08:52Give us a hand.
08:53Do we really need to be keeping all of these?
08:57Just in case, I'll, er, I'll go through them all later.
09:02Mind your back.
09:05There's nothing wrong with my back.
09:07Yeah, not yet.
09:12All put away, sorted, almost forgotten.
09:17Maybe things are starting to look up?
09:19Should we investigate the local pub?
09:22Things are definitely starting to look up.
09:42Please, if you'll notice.
09:48Thank you very much.
09:51It's done, I think.
09:53It's done.
09:53It's done.
09:54It's done because it's done.
10:02No, no, no, no, no.
10:04I'm sorry, Mum.
10:05There's nothing left to take out my wages.
10:08My savings are already gone.
10:10My credit cards are maxed out.
10:13I know I should have told you before, but I didn't want to scare you.
10:17It's all right, love.
10:21You're her husband.
10:22Tell her it's all right.
10:25I don't know.
10:28Jo, how did the post office money get lost?
10:32What is it you've been doing wrong?
10:34I don't know either.
10:36I have no idea.
10:39Oh, I don't want to cry.
10:42I kept thinking one day some kind of electronic wizardry would kick in
10:47and it would just sort itself out, but it never has.
10:49And now the computer says my shortfall's gone up to £9,000.
10:59Remortgaging the house, though.
11:00I know what I'm suggesting is really awful, but David, there's the 40-year lease on the shop
11:05and if they sack me, we'll lose everything.
11:09This house.
11:10Our home.
11:12I have to make good my shortfalls.
11:14It says so in my contract.
11:18I have to find the money to pay them back.
11:23If it draws a line under it.
11:38Verizon helpline, thank you for waiting.
11:41All our agents are busy right now, but please continue to hold.
11:47Dad, I can't find my trainers.
11:50We looked under your bed.
11:51Have a look.
11:54Verizon helpline, thank you for waiting.
11:55Ah, yeah, it's Lee Castleton here again from Bridlington.
12:00Yeah, look me up, it's all there.
12:01OK, hold on.
12:06Daddy!
12:06Yeah, just come and ask your mum, love.
12:09OK, yeah, I've got your file here.
12:11Yeah, right.
12:12Now, you'll see from my records,
12:13this is the 91st time I've called you about these shortfalls.
12:17Yeah, it's odd.
12:18No one else is having these problems.
12:20I still can't make any sense of these figures.
12:23You know, I still wonder, someone might have hacked into my account.
12:26No, no, no, that's impossible.
12:27Branch accounts are totally secure.
12:29OK, right.
12:29So, if it's definitely something that I'm doing wrong,
12:32please, can you just tell me what?
12:34Yeah, you want to request a visit from the auditors?
12:37Yes, yes, finally, thank you.
12:39Here, look at the bottom of it.
12:40All right, have a good day, kids.
12:43Right, I'm, um, listen, I'm going to write it down now,
12:47so, yeah, they're definitely going to call me, right?
12:49What you need to do is isolate your transaction.
12:52You need to put in a number that is one digit higher or lower,
12:55or the computer won't find it.
12:58How's that supposed to work?
12:59I don't know, it just works.
13:02Do it.
13:04Last time it showed a loss, I had to remortgage my house.
13:07I can't understand why it's happened again.
13:10Me neither.
13:11Nobody else has these problems.
13:13You know, you must balance tonight or you can't open in the morning.
13:16I have to open in the morning.
13:18My old ladies rely on me.
13:20So, one digit higher or lower.
13:23You're taking some must-match your balance on your horizon.
13:53What is this, Bill?
13:56I don't know.
14:26I don't know.
14:44I don't know.
15:01I'll be fine, Mrs. Coggins.
15:03The post always gets through.
15:06Mummy?
15:06Mummy?
15:10Mummy, they're leaving.
15:17Mummy, it's just near me now to see Daddy.
15:19I'll be back in a minute.
15:25Thanks for all your help, yeah?
15:29Did they find the problem?
15:32£26,000 gone missing.
15:34You what?
15:34£26,000.
15:37Let's go through those figures again right now.
15:38Not allowed.
15:39Eh?
15:40Suspended.
15:41Locked out my own post office till I pay it all back.
15:43£26,000.
15:47What are we going to do?
15:50Fight.
16:00Whatever it is you're reading, Alan, you're doing it in an annoyingly significant manner.
16:06Year one of the degree, there's a core foundation course including programming and problem solving.
16:13Let's see.
16:18Oh, God.
16:20Computer science.
16:21Why don't you do English or philosophy or...
16:26Computer science is good.
16:27It's career planning.
16:28In which case, why not aromatherapy or golf club management?
16:33And my student Grant will help keep this roof over our heads.
16:37Also, we'll be able to set up a website.
16:41So people will be able to find us.
16:45People.
16:48Meaning sub-postmasters.
16:52Three years since we lost the post office and come on, Suzanne, we're walking away.
16:57Has a single day gone by when you've thought about anything else?
17:04I've got a job.
17:08Teaching?
17:11Cleaning.
17:13Offices.
17:15Start next week.
17:19No shame in it, is there?
17:28One day.
17:30One day what?
17:32We'll get the bastards.
17:40Right, Millie, you've been quiet all the way home.
17:43What's bothering you?
17:43Don't tell her.
17:46Er, don't tell me what?
17:47That boy made him a big spit in Millie's hair.
17:51He did what?
17:52The same one who said Dad stole lots of money off old people.
17:57Millie?
18:00You know that's not true, okay?
18:03Your dad is not a thief.
18:06He's not.
18:09Go on, go upstairs, go play.
18:11I'll be up in a minute, okay?
18:17Yeah, look at this.
18:18Look, look.
18:19Right, I've been through these a hundred times.
18:20I don't know if I haven't seen it before.
18:21Look.
18:22I'm going to have to talk to the school.
18:2423rd of March, right?
18:25I'm logged in on Terminal 1.
18:27I put in the transaction
18:30and it shows up on Terminal 2.
18:34That should never happen.
18:35That's proof.
18:36It's proof there's something wrong with the system.
18:38Lee, the children.
18:40The bullying is getting worse.
18:44I know.
18:46The only way to stop it
18:48is to prove that I'm not a thief.
18:51Right?
18:51It must be a bug.
18:52It must be a computer bug or something.
18:58Right.
19:00What are you doing?
19:03Lee?
19:04Look, there's 15,000 post offices on that list.
19:07Are you just going to randomly call them all up
19:09and ask them if the computer is broken?
19:11How else am I going to find someone
19:12with the same problem before my case goes to court?
19:14I've got to show them it's not just me.
19:17Lisa, the post office are suing us
19:19for £26,000, which we didn't steal
19:23and we haven't got hanging around in piggy banks.
19:29OK.
19:30Hello, Oxford Road, post office.
19:31Hello.
19:32Yeah, I'm really sorry to bother you.
19:34My name's Lee Castleton.
19:36Sorry, mate.
19:37I don't take cold calls.
19:41It's all right.
19:42I'll just call the next one.
19:50Please.
19:59Joe!
20:01Joe!
20:03Come in.
20:05But you can't keep working these hours.
20:08You'll still kill yourself.
20:11Oh, Joe.
20:13Love.
20:15I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
20:17I keep trying over and over
20:19and I can't make it work.
20:21The numbers, they just slide away from me
20:24and I don't know where the money is.
20:25I don't know where it's gone.
20:27They need to send someone down here
20:29to sort this out.
20:31They suck me.
20:33Oh, Joe.
20:36You need help.
20:39Oh, my God.
20:55Mrs. Hamilton, I'm Ryan Fleming from the investigations team.
21:00I'll need those keys.
21:02Oh, of course, yes.
21:05OK.
21:10Morning, Joe.
21:11Hello.
21:16What's going on?
21:18Nothing.
21:25Mrs. Hamilton, are you surprised to learn
21:28that the audit you requested
21:30found a shortfall of £36,644.89?
21:38I've never been able to get to grips
21:41with the system
21:42and when I tried to get help...
21:44As you must know,
21:45your contract with us makes clear
21:47losses are your responsibility.
21:49Like once,
21:50I was on the phone to the helpline
21:52and it doubled.
21:52It just doubled the shortfall
21:54before my very eyes.
21:55Mrs. Hamilton,
21:56this is public money.
21:58We need to talk about
21:59how you're going to pay it back.
22:00sizing this place up for the bailiffs.
22:02Let me tell you,
22:03this house is my house too,
22:05so you can keep your thiebing hands off it
22:08and tell your evil bosses I said so.
22:11The shortfalls we uncovered today
22:13do not appear in any of the weekly accounts
22:15you've been submitting.
22:16My daughter is not a thief.
22:19A formal investigation will follow.
22:20Look, can I just say something?
22:24Why would I do this?
22:26I love my post office.
22:28Until then,
22:28I'm suspending you,
22:29Mrs. Hamilton.
22:30With immediate effect.
22:41Jo!
22:43Hello.
22:44I think I might need a solicitor.
22:47Oh, but I do.
22:49I mainly just do criminal work.
22:51That's good.
22:52That's great.
23:00You do not have to say anything,
23:02but it may harm your defence
23:04if you do not mention when questioned
23:05something which you later rely on in court.
23:08Anything you do say
23:08may be given in evidence.
23:16This is your cash account final
23:18for week 24.
23:21Is that your signature?
23:24No comment.
23:30This is your branch trading statement
23:32for period 10.
23:34It states that the cash in hand figure
23:36is £35,515.83.
23:41Is that a true amount
23:43of the cash on hand
23:44for that transaction statement?
23:46No comment.
23:49Have you deliberately
23:51inflated that cash figure?
23:54No comment.
23:55To cover the fact
23:56that you've been stealing post office money?
23:58No comment.
24:02Where's the money, Jo?
24:04What have you spent it on?
24:07No comment.
24:14It's good to have a rehearsal, I suppose.
24:18Before I have to do it properly
24:19with the police.
24:21With the police?
24:22They'll arrest me now for sure.
24:26Jo, the post office
24:28don't need the police.
24:31The post office has the right
24:32to run its own criminal investigations
24:34all the way to the Crown Court.
24:36It's been that way for 300 years.
24:42Disgraced sub-postmaster
24:43Noel Thomas
24:44is tonight behind bars
24:45starting a nine-month prison sentence.
24:48Used to be a federation, Matt.
24:51Carnarvon Crown Court
24:53heard today
24:53that County Councillor Thomas
24:54was previously regarded
24:56as honest, respectable,
24:57a pillar of his community
24:58in Anglesey.
25:00The 59-year-old had earlier
25:02pleaded guilty
25:02to false accounting
25:03involving sums
25:04up to £48,000.
25:07Did she just say
25:08£48,000?
25:11Well, that's not
25:12the odd bit of shortfall.
25:14It's a hell of a lot
25:15of money, Suzanne.
25:18And he's pleaded guilty, so...
25:22Didn't look guilty, though,
25:23did he?
25:24Look bloody terrified.
25:27How do we know
25:28what pressure
25:28they're putting people under?
25:58Everything all right?
26:00What is it?
26:05Royal Courts of Justice in London?
26:08I'll be the only one there not wearing a wig.
26:11Oh, golly.
26:13Be fine, be fine.
26:14I'll just show the judge my logs and I'll explain about Horizon.
26:17And I'll just tell the truth. Be fine.
26:19It's not a criminal court, is it?
26:21They're just suing us for their money.
26:23But, hey, they'll have so many big lawyers and you...
26:26Yeah, I know, and I'll be representing myself, yeah.
26:28Due to the fact they haven't got a spare million quid to spend.
26:32Look, Lisa, we've just got to trust in the British justice system
26:35and everything will be all right.
26:37We've just got to tell the truth.
26:40It's fine, don't worry.
26:45I, erm...
27:13It's called a plea bargain.
27:15The deal is the post office will drop the theft charge
27:17if you agree to plead guilty to false accounting instead.
27:21And the plea bargain keeps me out of prison?
27:26Well...
27:29Sorry.
27:31How is 14 charges of false accounting
27:35better than one charge of theft?
27:38Theft is much bigger.
27:40And if you fight it and the jury is not on your side
27:42then you will go to prison.
27:45Also, there are two conditions to the plea bargain.
27:49The post office say you have to pay back all the money.
27:52£36,000, how am I going to do that?
27:54And you must undertake not to blame the Horizon system.
28:01Well, I am guilty, I am, because I did sign all those accounts
28:04when I knew they were wrong.
28:05But I never stole that money.
28:07I never saw a penny of it.
28:10Is he... I still don't know where it went.
28:16Computers drive me mad.
28:17I never got used to Horizon
28:18and I won't say I love it now,
28:20but I can't claim we've had any real problems, so...
28:23No, no, I appreciate you talking to me, thank you.
28:25I've got to go, bye-bye.
28:26Alright, bye-bye.
28:36Hello?
28:37Sorry about that, I had to nip at the back.
28:39Everyone's scared to talk.
28:41There's just one guy that can help.
28:44Hello, yeah, I was hoping to speak to Alan Brown.
28:47You're Lee, right? Been expecting your call?
28:50Yeah.
28:51What happened here in Folkirk
28:52is that one of our terminals
28:53just stopped communicating with the network.
28:56Horizon didn't pick it up.
28:58No alarms were ringing.
29:00Some kind of bug.
29:02And that bug could be affecting every office in the country
29:05with more than one terminal.
29:06That's the same thing.
29:07Exactly the same thing that happened here.
29:09You see...
29:10And they always tell you you're on your own.
29:11Don't get too excited, laddie.
29:13Cause I'm not going on record with any of this.
29:17No, I just thought that's what you...
29:18I've got thousands invested in this business.
29:21I can't afford to make an enemy a post office limited.
29:24Wait, but what's the point...
29:25Look, I'll forward you a group email I sent some friends.
29:28You can use that if it helps.
29:31Wait, you're going to send it now?
29:32Yes.
29:33All right.
29:34All right.
30:13These so-called shortfalls, they're not real.
30:17Your system, it produces them out of nowhere.
30:22I'm a systems specialist employed by Fujitsu, the manufacturer.
30:26I was unable to identify any basis on which horizon
30:29could have caused the losses.
30:31Ah, no, no, you see, no, I happen to know of another branch
30:35where the same thing has happened.
30:37You must ask Mrs. Chambers a question, Mr. Castleton.
30:41Oh, okay, sorry.
30:42Um, just give me a...
30:44You mean the branch at Calendar Square in Falkirk?
30:48Yes, that's it, yeah, the exact same thing.
30:50It's happening there.
30:52I think we both have the same computer bug.
30:56Yes, but the problem at Calendar Square
30:58arose from an error in the horizon system.
31:01My lord, there is no evidence of any such thing
31:04at Mr. Castleton's branch.
31:06No, no.
31:07No, it's the same thing.
31:08It's a computer bug.
31:10It's...
31:13It's...
31:15The conclusion is inescapable
31:18that the horizon system was working properly
31:20in all material respects
31:22and that the shortfall is real.
31:25That the losses must have been caused
31:27by Mr. Castleton's own error.
31:29There will thus be a judgment on the claim against the defendant
31:32for 25,858 pounds and 95 pence.
31:38The claimant is entitled to the costs in the case
31:42and, accordingly, Mr. Castleton is ordered
31:45to pay all Post Office Limited's costs
31:47in the total sum of 321,000 pounds.
32:09All empty.
32:11Come on, you two. Let's get inside.
32:14And that was me, thinking I could fight him.
32:17But now his shop's gone and we're stuck living above it
32:20because we can't sell it.
32:22Our proceeds will go to the Post Office
32:23because I'm bankrupt.
32:25But, you know, I was an electrician when I was in the RAF,
32:28so at least I've still got a trade,
32:30but it just means I'm living out my car a bit.
32:34People think my wife's kicked me out, but it's not that.
32:37It's not that. I've just, you know,
32:38got to go where the work is, don't you?
32:40Mr. Castleton, I'm calling about the computer logs you sent us, but...
32:44Yeah, I'm sorry. It's me going home with meself.
32:46Yeah, I saw an advert,
32:49free expert help with any computer problems.
32:52Yeah, I'm still looking for answers, you see.
32:54I'm not an expert, I'm afraid. I'm just to report a...
32:57Mr. Castleton.
32:58Yeah, it's Lee.
32:59Lee, yeah.
33:01Apart from the chap you spoke to in Scotland,
33:03do you know if this has happened to anybody else?
33:05What he must have done.
33:07No, it can't just be me.
33:13Morning, Jo.
33:15I've never even had a parking ticket.
33:18Shall we?
33:27There we are.
33:28Ten o'clock, court one.
33:29The sentence.
33:32R. B. Hamilton.
33:34Queen versus Meese.
33:36I wonder if she knows.
34:00The post office, the shop, is at the heart of any community like ours.
34:06And Jo, but we all love her.
34:10In some ways, she's more of the priest than I am.
34:14People confide in her.
34:16And she can always tell when someone's upset.
34:20You see, we trust her.
34:22And we just can't believe that any of this was on purpose in any way.
34:27Thank you, Mrs. Lewis.
34:29Thank you, Mrs. Lewis.
34:31Please stand up.
34:34Mrs. Hamilton.
34:36What exactly are you doing in my court?
34:40I don't know, sir.
34:41I have a large number of testimonials before me from your community.
34:45All of whom seem to be here today.
34:47As to your trustworthiness.
34:49I still have no idea.
34:51This wasn't just a muddle.
34:53It turned into fraud.
34:54It's a very serious state of affairs with someone in whom the public is entitled to trust.
35:01However, in light of your previous good character, I do not intend to impose a custodial sentence.
35:10You will be sentenced to a community order for 12 months and weekly meetings with a probation officer.
35:17You're free to leave.
35:20Bordrois!
35:29I can't believe I'm not going to prison!
35:34You're alright.
35:37Maybe she was scared, Alan.
35:40Maybe she thought, put your hands up, get a lesser sentence.
35:43And now she's pleading guilty in court.
35:46Not everyone is as stubborn as you.
35:48God!
35:49Stubborn.
35:51I'll get it.
35:56Hello?
35:58Yep, please call in, please.
36:01Oh, okay?
36:03Yep, okay.
36:04Alan.
36:05It's a reporter from Computer Weekly who's read about that woman in the paper and who wanted to talk to
36:11you about Horizon.
36:18Alan Bates?
36:20I can see you contacted us five years ago.
36:23Yeah, I'm sorry about that.
36:24Never mind.
36:25You're here now.
36:26It's odd because everyone thinks of the post office as sort of warm and cuddly, but...
36:32You know, when I first got legal advice, right at the very beginning, I was warned that if I tried
36:40to take them to court, even if I won, the post office would just keep appealing till I run out
36:45of money.
36:48But they never accuse you of any wrongdoing?
36:51No, no, no.
36:52They never tried to prosecute me.
36:54You know what I think?
36:56I think they knew that there was something wrong with my system.
37:02But, Rebecca, how many other sub-postmasters have you found?
37:08Six.
37:09We will go on the record.
37:11Plus you, if you're willing to.
37:13What do you think?
37:15What do you think?
37:17Of course I will.
37:20Problem seems to be affecting a number of people.
37:24A seventh postmaster, Alan Bates, refused to sign his weekly accounts saying it would have made him liable for any
37:31losses.
37:32He has called for a public inquiry.
37:35Good luck with that.
37:38Oh, you like this bit?
37:40A post office spokesman said,
37:42Horizon is an extremely robust system which operates over our entire post office network.
37:49And successfully records millions of transactions each day.
37:54There is no evidence that points to any faults with the technology.
37:57We had the evidence.
37:59They wouldn't listen.
38:00We would always look into and investigate any issues raised by sub-postmasters.
38:06It hurts.
38:07Josephine?
38:08Well, honestly.
38:09We do accept that individual branches may experience very occasional failures.
38:16Yes.
38:16Yeah, right. I don't think so.
38:19Where have they come?
38:21This poor chap got sent to prison.
38:25Hello.
38:31No.
38:34Joe?
38:35Yeah.
38:40Do you want a tea?
38:43Yes, please.
38:45I couldn't believe it when I first ran about you.
38:48Fallen postmistress.
38:50Or a claim to fame.
38:52Just...
38:53Just...
38:54Just the idea that there was anyone else caught up in the same trap.
39:00I don't miss the post office.
39:03Well, I miss the wages, but...
39:0617 years old.
39:0717 years old.
39:08And I started.
39:09As a postman.
39:11Delivering letters of my bike.
39:1442 years I worked for them.
39:17Think of it.
39:18Man and boy.
39:20Lord Noel.
39:22And they still sent you to prison.
39:25All I heard the judge say was...
39:28Nine months.
39:30I couldn't believe it.
39:33Couldn't.
39:35And then...
39:36Take him down.
39:41Had my 60th birthday behind bars, Joe.
39:46It was hell on earth.
39:52I'm really glad you came.
39:59Can you believe this chap?
40:02Just kept refusing to sign his accounts.
40:05Kept refusing to pay.
40:08Bloody hero.
40:14Oh my god.
40:14Never in a million years would it have occurred to me I could do that.
40:17They wrote off my first so-called shortfall.
40:21When I jumped up and down and complained about it.
40:24You never thought it was your fault?
40:25Never.
40:27Why am I such a fool?
40:29I mean, I never even thought about the computers.
40:31Except that it was weird when they said I wasn't allowed to blame it.
40:35I hope you don't mind me getting in touch.
40:37I don't mind at all.
40:40But, Joe.
40:41Can I ask you one thing?
40:44Anything.
40:45Why did you plead guilty?
40:48Oh.
40:49I didn't want to.
40:51Oh my god, no.
40:52But...
40:53I really didn't want to go to prison.
40:56And I didn't know how to prove I was innocent.
40:59Shouldn't have to.
41:01It's supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.
41:05Yeah, right.
41:08So what do we do now?
41:11Alan, any ideas?
41:21Thank you for waiting.
41:29I guess I'll have my sewing room in the next life then.
41:33Won't be for long.
41:34Oh!
41:45Bridlington.
41:46Hampshire.
41:48Chelmsford.
41:49Somerset.
41:50Falkirk.
41:51And two in North Wales.
41:52That's the seven from Computer Weekly.
41:54Then there's the two that came via our website.
42:00But where are all the others?
42:04I'm thinking.
42:05Test the water.
42:07Set up a meeting.
42:09Send out invitations.
42:10See if anyone turns up.
42:14Somewhere central.
42:17Birmingham.
42:19That's pretty central.
42:21Fenny Compton.
42:24Fenny...
42:26Compton.
42:45Tomorrow the world.
42:51Yeah.
42:54This could be huge.
42:56Or nobody might turn up.
43:03It's got to be worth a try.
43:05By the way.
43:34Joe.
43:37Alan.
43:39Guest on the count of the cakes.
43:41I wasn't sure how many to bring.
43:43Hi.
43:44Suzanne.
43:45Oh, hello.
43:46Oh, thank you.
43:50Oh.
43:50We can always take them home if nobody comes.
43:56We'll give it 20 minutes.
44:11Oh, wow.
44:13Oh.
44:14Oh, wow.
44:18Alan, you did it.
44:20Look at everyone.
44:23Look at them all.
44:25Hi.
44:27We're all here for the meeting.
44:29Yes, we are.
44:32Well, you better come in then.
44:39We all look knackered.
44:41That's because we are.
44:44Let's see what we've got.
45:05Right.
45:07Well.
45:10Welcome, everyone.
45:15We're all here to share our experiences and put our heads together.
45:24We're here because...
45:34The post office told every single one of us sat here today.
45:41Told us over and over, you're the only one.
45:48Yeah.
45:50And that was wrong.
45:52That was a lie, actually.
45:57Because...
45:58Well, look at us.
46:02Here we all are.
46:05And from this moment forwards,
46:09None of us...
46:10None of us...
46:11Will be the only one...
46:14Ever again.
46:21God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts.
46:28Guess he kissed...