Post Office scandal victim calls honour fantastic

Noel Thomas was wrongly convicted of false accounting after the Horizon computer system failed

Former sub-postmaster Noel Thomas has been honoured for his role in campaigning for justice against the Post Office.

He was awarded an honorary degree by Bangor University on Tuesday for his public service in raising awareness of the Horizon scandal.

Hundreds of people were convicted after faulty Horizon software flagged false discrepancies in accounts.

A public inquiry has been looking at how the court cases were brought against sub-postmasters.

Mr Thomas, from Gaerwen, Anglesey, was wrongly convicted of false accounting after the Horizon computer system failed. 

He campaigned alongside others to clear the names of Post Office sub-postmasters who faced criminal convictions.

He successfully appealed his conviction and has since gone on to tell his story as he "wanted others who had suffered to come forward and secure justice".

He called the honour "fantastic, not for me but for my family and for my friends up and down the country who have stood in togetherness to fight the establishment".

Noel with his wife Eira and daughter Sian

Following a standing ovation, Mr Thomas told new graduates: "Go home to where you came from, work hard and do your best for your fellow countrymen."

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, he said: "From a humble postman to standing here.

"Having worked in Bangor Sorting Office for two years I used to look up through the window at this fantastic building up on the hill and never thought I'd be standing here today."

He added he was using the ceremony as a "trial run" for his grandson who will soon be graduating in chemistry from Swansea University and has been "pulling his leg" about it.

Sir Alan Bates, from Llandudno, Conwy county, will also be recognised for this role in the campaign later this week.

"He deserves it more than I do because he's fought hard on our behalf," Mr Thomas said.

Alan Bates' fight for justice inspired ITV’s drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office

Sir Alan spent two decades of his life advocating for justice and clearing the names of Post Office managers who were affected.

He founded the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance (JSFA) in 2009.

The group played a leading role in the legal battle to seek justice for those whose lives were adversely affected and to ensure compensation for those wrongly accused.

In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office, with it agreeing to pay them £58m in compensation in 2019.

Their stories were inspired and the subject of a series by ITV called Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which was watched by millions of viewers.

"But for Alan we wouldn't be where we are today," Mr Thomas said.

"[He] has been like a dog, once he had the bone he wouldn't let go."

The other recipients of this year’s honorary degrees include Manon Steffan Ros and Dr Susan Chomba.