Episode 1

♪ ♪ BATES: The computer system Post Office spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.

No one else has ever reported any problems.

WOMAN (on phone): You're responsible for the loss.

JO: I haven't got that money!

LEE: I'm not a thief.

It must be a bug.

What are we gonna do?

Fight.

ARBUTHNOT: The Post Office is a national institution.

JO: They destroyed our whole life.

BATES: Here we all are, ready to tell our stories.

(all cheering) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (seagulls squawking, waves lapping) SUZANNE: Well, I tend to go for a seven for double knitting, because my tension's too tight.

But seven-and-a-half, I think, yeah, yeah.

Ta, love.

BATES: One first-class stamp there, Megan.

28p, please, love.

How much?!

I know, daylight robbery.

(coins rattle) That's the Post Office for you.

(chuckles) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ SUZANNE: Oh, Alan?

Alan!

Management.

MAN: Alan Bates?

BATES: Oh, thugs in suits.

You know why we're here, Alan.

And you know you're a day early.

TOM: Oi, there's a queue here.

(sighs): I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this post office is now closed.

Uh, not yet, it isn't.

That's, uh, £2.39, Tom, please.

Alan.

(coins rattle) Come on-- let us in, please.

Yeah?

(coins rattling) If you'd like to make an appointment for after my so-called contract ends, I shall inspect my diary for a window.

We have a right of entry.

I'm the subpostmaster, so I am locked in and everyone else is locked out.

So, if you want to see my accounts... ...you'll have to come back tomorrow.

Right.

Come on, we're gonna need some help.

MAN: Right.

I'm calling the police.

BATES: Sorry about that, Tom.

MAN: Hello, police, please.

I'm calling from Craig-y-Don Post Office.

(siren chirps) BATES: They're not calling me a thief.

They wouldn't dare.

They say money's somehow gone missing from this branch-- which it hasn't-- and I have to pay it back-- which I won't.

So I say, prove it.

Prove that I'm wrong and you're right.

Show me the figures.

But they can't, or won't, do that.

Alan...

So now they want to close me down to shut me up.

That's ridiculous!

Because they don't want everyone knowing what I know.

Which is?

BATES: That the fancy new computer system that they've spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.

No one else has ever reported any problems with Horizon.

No one.

I don't believe you.

So, no actual crime has been committed here today.

Well, uh, Post Office Limited is stealing, uh, my livelihood, my shop, my, my, my job, my home, my life savings, my good name.

Civil matter.

Righto, be getting back to the day job.

You might want to come back tomorrow, sir.

(door opens) How exactly do you sleep at night?

(door closes) Same time tomorrow?

♪ ♪ (door opens, closes) (whispers): It can't be just us, can it?

Morning, Marion.

Morning, Jo.

You all right?

Hello, Jo.

All right?

You all right?

WOMAN: Morning, Jo.

TREVOR AND NADIA: Morning, Jo.

JO: All right, Trevor, Nadia?

Hi, Elaine.

Oh, they look nice, Jo.

ISSY: Morning.

With you in a minute.

ISSY: No rush.

Morning, Jo.

Whew!

Ooh, you smell good.

Don't turn your back.

They'll all be gone.

(chuckling) What's the matter, Diane?

I can't find it anywhere.

It's my pension book, I can't...

I can't find it anywhere.

Yeah?

You haven't lost your pension book.

I keep it in my drawer, remember?

(keys jangling) Sorry-- spinning plates.

Well, it's as much as I can do to get myself into court every morning with my hair brushed.

A dozen first-class, please.

Whisper it, legal eagle, but I'm happier baking.

Bookkeeping, accounts, and computers, not so much.

Mmm.

Here.

Thanks, Jo.

Have a good day.

SUZANNE: No job, no income, nowhere to live.

All our hopes, dreams, all our savings down the pan.

It's killing us, Alan.

My hair's actually falling out.

♪ ♪ (squawking) BATES: I'm not letting the Post Office get away with it.

They already did.

Come on.

Concentrate.

Well, I, I'm thinking somewhere quiet.

Up in the hills.

I can walk, you can paint.

Am I not allowed to walk?

(chuckles) Just tell me how we're going to afford any of these places.

We'll work.

It's what people do.

Now, come on, Suzanne.

If we're going to walk away, let's do it with our heads held high.

Okay.

And so they head off into an uncertain future.

(chuckles) On the plus side, it won't be us hanging around on the phone anymore.

(imitating): Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.

(chuckling): Oh, no.

(laughing) WOMAN (on phone recording): Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.

(Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" playing on phone) WOMAN (on phone): Hello, how can I help?

Oh, hi.

Uh, it's Jo Hamilton here from South Warnborough.

I'm trying to produce this week's cash account?

And what's the problem?

I know it's probably me, because I'm really rubbish with technology, but I've declared my cash, I've declared my stock, I've done it all three times, and I still can't get it to balance.

I hate Wednesdays.

(chuckling) Hm, and what does Horizon say?

It says I've taken £2,032.67 more than I think I have.

Okay, redeclare your stock holding.

So that'll automatically create a discrepancy, okay?

It'll have inflated your cash holding.

So now, I want you to reverse that difference.

Righto.

So now, if you redeclare everything, it'll balance, okay?

This is so helpful, thank you.

Don't go away-- stay with me till I've done it.

♪ ♪ Oh, my God.

It, it, it's, it's just doubled right in front of my eyes.

Now, now it says I'm £4,000 down.

It'll sort itself out-- these things do.

In the meantime... Wha-- I, I was only doing what you told me.

In the meantime, you'll need to make good the loss.

I haven't got that money!

And I don't know where it's gone!

I'm sorry.

You are responsible for balancing your account and making good any shortfalls.

(computer beeping softly) (breathing heavily, whimpering) ♪ ♪ SUZANNE: You did your best, love.

BATES: Well, I wrote a lot of letters.

MPs, ministers, Post Office chairmen, "Daily Telegraph."

"Computer Weekly"-- I'd have thought they'd have shown an interest, at least.

SUZANNE: We're putting it behind us now.

♪ ♪ (brake engages) Uh, I thought we were walking away?

Back burner.

We did say I could have that spare room for my sewing room.

No problem.

SUZANNE: Alan?

BATES: Up here!

SUZANNE: Careful.

BATES: Give, give us a hand.

Do we really need to be keeping all of these?

Just in case.

I'll, uh, I'll go through them all later.

SUZANNE: Mind your back.

(Bates grunting) There's nothing wrong with my back.

Yeah, not yet.

(panting) All put away, sorted.

(chuckles): Almost forgotten.

Hmm, then maybe things are starting to look up.

Shall we investigate the local pub?

Things are definitely starting to look up.

(both chuckling) (house door opens and closes) ♪ ♪ JO: Mmm.

(murmuring) (inhales deeply) ♪ ♪ No.

No, no, no, no, no.

JO: I'm sorry, Mum, there's nothing left to take out of my wages.

My savings are already gone.

My credit cards are maxed out.

I know I should have told you before, but I didn't want to scare you.

It's all right, love.

You're her husband.

Tell her it's all right.

I don't know.

Jo, how did the Post Office money get lost?

I mean... What is it you've been doing wrong?

(voice trembling): I don't know, either.

I have no idea.

Oh, I don't want to cry.

I kept thinking, one day, some kind of electronic wizardry would kick in, and it would just sort itself out, but it never has.

(crying): And now the computer says my shortfall's gone up to £9,000, so... Remortgaging the house, though?

I know what I'm suggesting is really awful, but, David, there's the 40-year lease on the shop, and if they sack me, we'll lose everything.

This house.

Our home.

I have to make good my shortfalls.

It says so in my contract.

I have to find the money to pay them back.

If it draws a line under it.

♪ ♪ MAN (on phone recording): Horizon Helpline.

Thank you for waiting.

All our agents are busy right now, but please continue to hold.

("Four Seasons" playing) Dad.

I can't find my trainers.

Have you looked under your bed?

Have a look.

MAN (on phone): Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.

Hi, yeah, it's, uh, it's Lee Castleton here again, uh, from Bridlington.

Yeah, look me up, it's all there.

Okay, hold on.

Thank you.

(music resumes) Daddy!

(whispering): Hey, just go and ask your mum, love.

MAN: Okay, yeah, I've got your file here.

Yeah, right.

Now, you'll see from my records, this is the 91st time I've called you about these shortfalls.

Yeah, it's odd-- no one else is having these problems.

Well, I, I still can't make any sense of these figures.

You know, I still wonder, someone might have hacked into my account.

No, no, no, that's impossible.

Branch accounts are totally secure.

Okay, right, so, if it's definitely something that I'm doing wrong, please, can you just tell me what?

Yeah, you want to request a visit from the auditors?

Yes, yes, finally, thank you.

Yeah, they'll get to the bottom of it.

(softly): Off to school.

All right, have a good day, kids.

(door opens) Right, I'm, um...

Listen, I'm gonna, I'm gonna write it down now.

(door closes) So, yeah, you're definitely gonna call me, right?

WOMAN (on phone): What you need to do is isolate your transaction.

You need to put in a number that is one digit higher or lower, or the computer won't find it.

How's that supposed to work?

I don't know, it just works.

Do it.

Last time it showed a loss, I had to remortgage my house.

I can't understand why it's happened again.

Me, neither.

Nobody else has these problems.

You know, you must balance tonight, or you can't open in the morning.

(voice trembling): I have to open in the morning.

My old ladies rely on me.

So, one digit higher or lower.

Your takings must match your balance on your Horizon... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (purse unzips, coins jingling) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (computer whirring and beeping) (report printing) God forgive me.

I'll be fine, Mrs. Goggins.

The post always gets through.

MILLIE-JO: Mummy.

Mummy.

(show theme playing) Mummy, they're leaving.

(television continues) Mummy's just going down to see Daddy.

I'll be back in a minute.

Thanks for all your help, yeah?

Did they find the problem?

£26,000 has gone missing.

You what?

26 grand.

Let's go through those figures again, right now.

Not allowed.

Hey?

Suspended-- locked out of me own post office till I pay it all back.

£26,000?

What are we gonna do?

Fight.

(Bates sniffing and murmuring) (papers shuffling) Hmm.

(pages turning) SUZANNE: Whatever it is you're reading, Alan, you're doing it in an annoyingly significant manner.

Year one of the degree, there's a core foundation course including programming and problem solving.

Let's see?

Oh, God.

Computer science?

Why don't you do English or philosophy or... Computer science is good.

It's career planning.

In which case, why not aromatherapy, or golf club management?

And my student grant will help keep this roof over our heads.

Also, we'll be able to set up a website so people will be able to find us.

People?

Meaning subpostmasters.

Three years since we lost the post office and, "Come on, Suzanne, we're walking away."

Has a single day gone by when you've thought about anything else?

I got a job.

Teaching?

Cleaning.

Offices.

Start next week.

No shame in it, is there?

♪ ♪ One day.

(exhales) One day what?

We'll get the bastards.

♪ ♪ Right, Millie, you've been quiet all the way home.

What's bothering you?

(voice trembling): Don't tell her.

Uh, don't tell me what?

That boy made a huge big spit in Millie's hair.

He did what?

The same one who said Dad stole lots of money off old people.

Millie?

You know that's not true, okay?

Your dad is not a thief.

He's not.

Go on, go upstairs-- go play.

I'll be up in a minute, okay?

Yeah, look at this!

Look, look!

Right, I've been through these 100 times.

I don't know how I haven't seen it before-- look.

I'm gonna have to talk to the school.

23rd of March, right?

I'm logged in on terminal one.

I put in the transaction, and it shows up on terminal two.

That should never happen.

That's proof!

It's proof there's something wrong with the system!

Lee, the children.

The bullying is getting worse.

(sighs) I know.

The only way to stop it is to prove that I'm not a thief.

Right?

It must be a bug.

It must be, it must be a computer... (drawer opens) ...bug or, or something.

Right.

What are you doing?

(telephone buttons beeping) Lee, look, there...

There's 15,000 post offices on that list.

Are you just gonna randomly call them all up and ask them if their computer is broken?

How else am I gonna find someone with the same problem before my case goes to court?

I've got to show them it's not just me.

Lisa, the Post Office are suing us for £26,000, which we didn't steal, and we haven't got hanging around in piggy banks.

(buttons beeping) (phone ringing out) (sighs): Okay, come on.

MAN (on phone): Hello, Oxford Road Post Office.

Hello, yeah.

I'm really sorry to bother you.

My name's Lee Castleton, and...

Sorry, mate, I don't take cold calls.

(call disconnects) (phone buttons beeping) It's all right, I'll just call the next one.

(buttons beeping) (sniffs) (phone ringing out) (quietly): Please.

(crying) (knocking) Jo?

Jo!

Don't come in here, Mum.

You can't keep working these hours, you'll kill yourself.

Oh, Jo.

(door closes) Love.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I keep trying over and over, and I can't make it work.

The numbers, they just slide away from me, and I don't know where the money is.

I don't know where it's gone.

They need to send someone down here to sort this out.

No, no, they'll sack me!

Oh, Jo, you need help.

(kisses) (sobbing) (brakes squeak, engines stop) Mrs. Hamilton.

I'm Ryan Fleming, from the investigations team?

Thank you.

I'll need those keys.

Oh, of course, yes.

Okay.

JANE: Morning, Jo!

What's going on?

Nothing.

♪ ♪ FLEMING: Mrs. Hamilton, are you surprised to learn that the audit you requested found a shortfall of £36,644.89?

I've never been able to get to grips with the system, and when I tried to get help... As you must know, your contract with us makes clear losses are your responsibility.

Like once, I was on the phone to the helpline, and it doubled, it just doubled, the shortfall, before my very eyes.

Mrs. Hamilton, this is public money.

We need to talk about how you're going to pay it back.

MIN: Sizing this place up for the bailiffs?

Let me tell you, this house is my house, too, so you can keep your thieving hands off it.

And tell your evil bosses I said so.

The shortfalls we uncovered today do not appear in any of the weekly accounts you've been submitting.

My daughter is not a thief.

A formal investigation will follow.

MIN: No... Can I just say something?

Why would I do this?

I love my post office.

Until then, I'm suspending you, Mrs. Hamilton.

With immediate effect.

♪ ♪ (doorbell rings) ISSY: Jo!

Hello.

I think I might need a solicitor.

Oh, um, but I do, I, I mainly just do criminal work?

That's good.

That's great.

♪ ♪ FLEMING: You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

This is your cash account final for week 24.

Is that your signature?

No comment.

This is your branch trading statement for period ten.

It states that the cash-in-hand figure is £35,515.83.

Is that a true amount of the cash on hand for that transaction statement?

No comment.

Have you deliberately inflated that cash figure?

No comment.

To cover the fact that you've been stealing Post Office money?

No comment.

Where's the money, Jo?

What have you spent it on?

No comment.

(Jo exhales) Well, it was good to have a rehearsal, I suppose.

Mm-hmm.

Before I have to do it properly, with the police.

For the police?

Well, they'll arrest me now, for sure.

Jo, the Post Office don't need the police.

The Post Office has the right to run its own criminal investigations, all the way to the Crown Court.

It's been that way for 300 years.

REPORTER (on TV): Disgraced subpostmaster Noel Thomas is tonight behind bars, starting a nine-month prison sentence.

He used to be a Federation man.

REPORTER (on TV): Noel!

REPORTER: Caernarfon Crown Court heard today that County Councilor Thomas was previously regarded as honest, respectable, a pillar of his community in Anglesey.

The 59-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to false accounting involving sums up to £48,000.

(television continues) Did she just say £48,000?

BATES: Well, that's not the odd bit of shortfall.

It's a hell of a lot of money, Suzanne.

And he's, he's pleaded guilty, so...

Didn't look guilty, though, did he?

Looked bloody terrified.

How do we know what pressure they're putting people under?

♪ ♪ (lock turning) ♪ ♪ (letter opens) Everything all right?

What is it?

Royal Courts of Justice?

In London?

I'll be the only one there not wearing a wig.

Oh, God, Lee.

Be fine.

Be fine-- I'll just, I'll just show the judge my logs, and I'll explain about Horizon, and I'll just tell the truth.

Be fine.

It's not a criminal court, is it?

They're just suing us for their money.

But Lee, they, they'll have so many big lawyers, and, and you... Yeah, I know, and I'll be representing myself, yeah, due to the fact that I haven't got a spare million quid to spend.

Look, Lisa, we've just got to trust in the British justice system, and everything'll be all right.

I've just got to tell the truth.

It's fine, don't worry.

Right, um... (door closes) ♪ ♪ (sighs) It's called a plea bargain.

The deal is, the Post Office will drop the theft charge if you agree to plead guilty to false accounting instead.

And the plea bargain keeps me out of prison?

Well... (shudders) (voice breaking): Sorry.

How is 14 charges of false accounting better than one charge of theft?

Theft is much bigger.

And if you fight it, and the jury is not on your side, then you will go to prison.

Also, there are two conditions to the plea bargain.

The Post Office say you have to pay back all the money.

£36,000-- how I'm going to do that?

And you must undertake not to blame the Horizon system.

Well, I am guilty, I am, because I did sign all those accounts when I knew they were wrong, but I never stole that money.

I never saw a penny of it.

Issy, I still don't know where it went.

WOMAN (on phone): Computers drive me mad-- I never got used to Horizon.

And I won't say I love it now, but I can't claim we've had any real problems, so... No, no, I appreciate you talking to me, thank you.

I've got to go-- bye-bye.

All right, bye-bye.

(button clicks) (phone ringing) (button clicks) Hello.

WOMAN (on phone, quietly): Sorry about that, I had to nip out the back.

Everyone's scared to talk.

There's just one guy that can help.

Hello, yeah, I, I was hoping to speak to an Alan Brown.

BROWN (on phone): You're Lee, right?

I've been expecting your call.

Yeah.

What happened here in Falkirk is that one of our terminals just stopped communicating with the network.

Horizon didn't pick it up, no alarms were ringing.

Some kind of bug.

And that bug could be affecting every office in the country with more than one terminal.

That's the same thing!

Exactly the same thing that happened here.

You see?

And they always tell you you're on your own.

Don't get too excited, laddie, 'cause I'm not going on record with any of this.

Well, no, I, I just thought that's what you...

I've got thousands invested in this business, and I can't afford to make an enemy of Post Office Limited.

Wait, but what's the point... Look, I'll forward you a group email I sent some friends.

You can use that, if it helps.

Are you going to send it now?

Yes.

LEE: All right, all right, thank you.

(call ends) ♪ ♪ (sirens blaring in distance) ♪ ♪ It's these so-called shortfalls, they're, they're not real.

Your system, it produces them out of nowhere.

I'm a systems specialist employed by Fujitsu, the manufacturer.

I was unable to identify any basis on which Horizon could have caused the losses.

Ah, no, no, you see, no.

I, I happen to know of another branch where the same thing has happened.

You must ask Mrs.

Chambers a question, Mr. Castleton.

Oh, okay, sorry, um... Just give me a... You mean the branch at Callendar Square in Falkirk?

Yes, that's it, yeah.

The exact, the exact same thing-- it's happening there.

I, I think we, we both have the same computer bug.

Yes, but the problem at Callendar Square arose from an error in the Horizon system.

My Lord, there is no evidence of any such thing at Mr. Castleton's branch.

No, no, no, it's, it's the same thing.

It's a computer bug.

It's, it's...

It's, it's a, it... HARVEY: The conclusion is inescapable that the Horizon system was working properly in all material respects and that the shortfall is real.

That the losses must have been caused by Mr. Castleton's own error.

There will thus be a judgment on the claim against the defendant for £25,858.95.

The claimant is entitled to their costs in the case, and accordingly, Mr. Castleton is ordered to pay all Post Office Limited's costs, in the total sum of £321,000.

♪ ♪ (falls against table) ♪ ♪ It's all empty.

Come on, you two, let's get inside.

LEE: And that was me, thinking I could fight them.

And now the shop's gone, and we're stuck living above it because we can't sell it.

Our proceeds will go to the Post Office 'cause I'm bankrupt.

But, you know, I, I, I was an electrician when I was in the R.A.F., so at least I've still got a trade, but it just means I'm living out of me car a bit.

And people think me wife's kicked me out.

(chuckles): But it's not that.

(on phone): It's not that, I'm just... Got to go where the work is, don't you?

Mr. Castleton, I'm calling about the computer logs you sent us, but... Yeah, I'm sorry, it's me going on meself.

Yeah, I saw, um, an advert, uh, "free expert help with any computer problems"?

Yeah, I'm still looking for answers, you see.

I'm not an expert, I'm afraid, I'm just a reporter.

Mr. Castleton...

Uh, it's Lee.

Lee, Lee, yeah.

Apart from the chap you spoke to in Scotland, do you know if this has happened to anybody else?

Well, it must have done.

You know, it can't just be me.

♪ ♪ Morning, Jo.

I've never even had a parking ticket.

Shall we?

(door closes) Ah, there we are, 10:00, court one.

For sentence.

R. v. Hamilton.

The queen versus me.

I wonder if she knows.

♪ ♪ (applauding) JANE: The post office, the shop, is at the heart of any community like ours.

And Jo, well, we all love her.

In some ways, she's more of the priest than I am.

People confide in her, and she can always tell when someone's upset.

You see, we trust her.

And we just can't believe that any of this was on purpose in any way.

Thank you, Mrs. Leese.

Please stand up.

Mrs. Hamilton, what exactly are you doing in my court?

I don't know, sir.

I have a large number of testimonials before me from your community, all of whom seem to be here today, as to your trustworthiness.

I still have no idea.

This wasn't just a muddle.

It turned into fraud.

It's a very serious state of affairs for someone in whom the public is entitled to trust.

However, in light of your previous good character, I do not intend to impose a custodial sentence.

(audience murmuring) You will be sentenced to a community order for 12 months... (exhales) ...and weekly meetings with a probation officer.

You're free to leave.

BAILIFF: Court rise.

(applauding) JO (sobbing): I can't believe I'm not going to prison!

DAVID: You're all right, you're all right.

(crying) SUZANNE: Maybe she was scared, Alan.

Maybe she thought, put your hands up, get a lesser sentence.

Yeah, and now she's pleaded guilty in court.

Not everyone is as stubborn as you-- God!

(phone ringing) BATES: Huh, stubborn!

SUZANNE: I'll get it.

(phone ringing) Hello?

Yeah, who's calling, please?

Oh, okay, yeah, okay-- Alan?

It's a reporter from "Computer Weekly" who's read about that woman in the paper, and they want to talk to you about Horizon.

(birds tweeting) Alan Bates.

REBECCA: I can see you contacted us five years ago.

Yeah, I'm sorry about that.

Never mind, you're here now.

It's odd, because everyone thinks of the Post Office as sort of warm and cuddly.

(both chuckle) You know, when I first got legal advice, right at the very beginning, I was warned that if I tried to take them to court, even if I won, the Post Office would just keep appealing till I run out of money.

Thank you.

But they never accused you of any wrongdoing?

No, no, no, no.

They never tried to prosecute me.

You know what I think?

I think they knew that there was something wrong with my system.

But, Rebecca... How many other subpostmasters have you found?

Six who will go on the record.

Plus you, if you're willing.

(chuckles): What do you think?

Course I will.

"Problem seems to be affecting a number of people.

"A seventh postmaster, Alan Bates, "refused to sign his weekly accounts, "saying it would have made him liable for any losses.

He has called for a public inquiry."

Hm, good luck with that.

(chuckles) Oh, you'll like this bit.

"A Post Office spokesman said, "'Horizon is an extremely robust system... Ha!

"'which operates over our entire Post Office network...'" LEE: "'...and successfully records "'millions of transactions each day.

"'There is no evidence that points to any faults with the technology.'"

We had the evidence!

They wouldn't listen!

"'We would always look into and investigate any issues raised by subpostmasters.'"

Turds.

Josephine!

Well, honestly.

"'We do accept that individual branches may experience very occasional failures.'"

Oh, yeah, right-- I don't think so!

Hm!

(door opens) What else have they put?

MIN: This poor chap got sent to prison.

Hello?

JO: Noel?

Jo?

Yeah!

Do you want a tea?

Yes, please!

NOEL: I couldn't believe it when I first read about you.

Fallen postmistress.

What a claim to fame.

Just, just the idea that there was anyone else caught up in the same trap.

I don't miss the Post Office.

Well, I miss the wages, but... 17 years old when I started, as a postman, delivering letters on my bike.

42 years I worked for them.

Think of it-- man and boy.

Lord, Noel.

And they still sent you to prison.

All I heard the judge say was, "Nine months."

I couldn't believe it-- couldn't.

And then, "Take him down."

I had my 60th birthday behind bars, Jo.

(inhales sharply) It was hell on Earth.

(crying softly) I'm really glad you came.

Can you believe this chap?

Just kept refusing to sign his accounts.

Kept refusing to pay.

Bloody hero!

JO (on phone): Oh, my God, never in a million years would it have occurred to me I could do that.

They wrote off my first so-called shortfall when I jumped up and down and complained about it.

You never thought it was your fault?

Never.

Well, why am I such a fool?

I mean, I never even thought about the computer, except that it was weird when they said I wasn't allowed to blame it.

I hope you don't mind me getting in touch.

I don't mind at all.

But, Jo, can I ask you one thing?

Yeah, anything.

Why did you plead guilty?

Oh, I didn't want to.

Oh, my God, no, but...

I really didn't want to go to prison?

And I didn't know how to prove I was innocent?

You shouldn't have to.

It's supposed to be "innocent until proven guilty."

Yeah, right.

So, what do we do now?

Alan?

Any ideas?

(switch clicks) "Thank you for waiting."

(chuckles) I guess I'll have my sewing room in the next life, then.

It won't be for long.

Hm!

♪ ♪ BATES: Bridlington, Hampshire, Chelmsford, Somerset, Falkirk, and two in North Wales.

That's the seven from "Computer Weekly."

Then there's the two that came via our website.

But where are all the others?

I'm thinking, test the water.

Set up a meeting, send out invitations, see if anyone turns up.

Hm.

Somewhere central.

Birmingham?

That's pretty central.

BATES: Fenny Compton.

Fenny... Compton.

Okay.

Has a lovely ring to it.

BATES: Just the place to start really annoying the hell out of the Post Office.

(giggles) 808 inhabitants.

And a church hall.

I still think maybe Birmingham.

Nah, today, Fenny Compton.

Tomorrow, the world!

(chuckles) Well...

This could be huge.

Or nobody might turn up.

But it's got to be worth a try.

♪ ♪ (car door closes) Jo?

Alan!

(chuckles): Guessed on account of the cakes.

I wasn't sure how many to bring.

(chuckles) Hi-- Suzanne.

Oh, Hello!

Oh, thank you.

Oh.

We can always take them home if nobody comes.

(chuckles) We'll give it 20 minutes.

(Jo giggling) Oh, oh, wow.

Oh!

(chuckles) JO: Oh, wow-- Alan, you did it!

Look at everyone!

Look at them all.

(chuckles) Are you all here for the meeting?

Yes, we are.

Well, you...

Better come in, then.

(talking in background) We all look knackered.

That's 'cause we are.

(chuckles) (talking in background) ♪ ♪ Right, uh... (clears throat) Well...

Welcome, everyone.

We're all here to share our experiences and put our heads together.

We're here because... ...the Post Office told every single one of us sat here today, told us over and over, "You're the only one."

(others murmuring) And that was wrong.

That was a lie, actually.

Because, well, look at us.

Here we all are.

(others murmuring) And from this moment forwards, none of us will be the only one ever again.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ JO: We're all fighting back, every way we can.

The system is robust.

And we have nothing to hide.

BATES: The Post Office left a trail of destruction, and we're just sitting around chatting about it while they're still ruining lives.

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♪ ♪