Four subpostmasters who campaigned for justice for victims of the Post Office scandal have been awarded OBEs in the New Years Honours.
Seema Misra, Lee Castleton, Chris Head and Jo Hamilton were given the honours after fellow campaigner Sir Alan Bates was knighted earlier this year.
In 2010, Mrs. Misra found herself pregnant with her second child when she was found guilty of theft and was sent to prison. During her time behind bars, she gave birth to her baby.
She was among the many subpostmasters who faced accusations of theft due to discrepancies in the Post Office’s Horizon IT system, which erroneously showed discrepancies in their branch accounts.
Located in West Byfleet, Surrey, Mrs. Misra managed a Post Office but was suspended in 2008. In November 2010, on her son’s 10th birthday, she received a 15-month prison term after being falsely accused of embezzling £74,000.
She said the scandal was ‘ongoing’ and that many sub-postmasters were still waiting for compensation and ‘accountability’ from the Post Office.
She said she was ‘very honoured’ by the OBE, adding: ‘It will give more weight to the fight and we need to keep reminding people the scandal hasn’t been sorted out yet.
‘It’s one of the main reasons I accepted it – to remind people that the scandal hasn’t gone yet.’
Seema Misra has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours list, for services to Justice
Jo Hamilton, who has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours list, for services to justice
Lee Castleton, who has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours list, for services to justice
Mr Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, said he was proud to have been awarded an OBE alongside other campaigners.
He was wrongly found to have had a £25,000 shortfall at his branch in 2004, and was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office.
His case came under the spotlight in January when it featured heavily in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
He said the campaign had undergone ‘a complete turnaround’ after the drama aired, adding: ‘The whole of the nation seems like they’re very much behind us.’
Mr Castleton said there were still ‘highly pensioned, highly paid’ executives at the Post Office who needed to be held accountable for their role in the Horizon scandal.
He went on: ‘I hope that our fight, my fight, everyone’s fight, continues until something changes.
‘I just don’t mean for our group, I mean for everybody. Society deserves so much better. We deserve proper justice – there’s nobody in this country that’s above the law.’
Former post office workers Lee Castleton (left) and Noel Thomas celebrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after their convictions were overturned
Monica Donlan (left), Jo Hamilton and Toby Jones attend the 50th annual Broadcasting Press Guild awards, at the Royal Horse Guards Hotel after the release of Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Jo Hamilton and cast and crew accept the Impact Award for ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ on stage during the NTAs 2024
More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
Hundreds are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: ‘I’m pleased to see a group of Horizon sub-postmasters recognised in this New Years Honours list.
‘They deserve special recognition for their tireless campaign for postmasters who have waited far too long to get justice – and whilst this Government has doubled the total which has been paid out, we remain committed to seeing justice done.’
An expert witness and key adviser to the Justice for the Subpostmasters Alliance, forensic accountant Dr Kay Linnell, was also awarded an OBE for services to justice, along with a Computer Weekly journalist who helped to expose the scandal, Rebecca Thomson.
There was also an OBE for a campaigner who worked on the infected blood scandal.
Bill Wright was chairman of Haemophilia Scotland for 12 years until he stood down in August. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C after he was given an infected blood product in 1986.
More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with deadly viruses after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s in the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
Some 3,000 people died as a result and survivors are living with lifelong health implications.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £11.8billion in compensation for the victims of the scandal in her October Budget, and payouts began earlier in December.
Mr Wright, 66, said: ‘It’s really important to emphasise that this story is not over.
‘The recommendations of the public inquiry into infected blood are yet to be really met and that includes for example compensation to thousands of individuals, and that is taking a lot of time.’
