Post Office scandal: ‘Families need to be compensated too’

Mr Jones’ troubles began in 1998 when he decided to take over his local post office in Llanfarian, near Aberystwyth.

A year later, the Horizon computer system was introduced in all British post offices, to monitor stock and accounts digitally.

Like many other sub-postmasters, Mr Jones started having trouble with the new system in the office in Llanfarian and another he was responsible for in Blaenplwyf.

After the Horizon system showed that nearly £20,000 had disappeared from his accounts, in 2007 he called the police and the Post Office.

He said: “I need to be audited now.

“And they were shocked. ‘It’s not you who calls auditors,’ they said to me, ‘it’s for us to come and audit you’.

“They came down, two bullies – you’ve never seen people like them.

“They came in and they immediately made up their minds that I was guilty… the boy immediately said to the woman ‘suspend him’.”