'Don't suffer in silence over Post Office scandal'

Mohammad Rasul initially only told immediate family members of his conviction

A former sub-postmaster who was wrongly convicted of false accounting has said he does not want other victims of the Post Office scandal to "suffer in silence".

Mohammad Rasul was one of many wrongly prosecuted after faulty software indicated money was missing from their Post Office branch accounts.

The 68-year-old, from Salford, was cleared of stealing money in 2021 but others are still waiting for justice.

Mr Rasul said he was at first reluctant to speak about his ordeal but has now spoken out in detail ahead of a documentary which reveals the emotional toll of the scandal - and has urged others to do the same.

Mohammad Rasul and his son, Yameen, have had a "painful" experience, they said

The documentary, called Surviving the Post Office, details the findings of a BBC questionnaire from hundreds of sub-postmasters.

More than 900 were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from a computer system called Horizon.

It has been described as the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice, and the Post Office eventually apologised after a long campaign.

The questionnaire, circulated via law firms Hudgell Solicitors and Howe & Co, received more than 200 answers from sub-postmasters.

Nearly 150 said they have been left suffering anxiety, while dozens more said they had problems sleeping and more than 100 said either themselves or a family member had been verbally attacked.

Mr Rasul's post office branch in Salford

'Weighs heavily'

Mr Rasul worked for the Post Office for almost 20 years at the Tootal Drive branch, in Salford, when he was suspended in 2005.

He was prosecuted two years later, ordered to pay back £12,000 and was given an electronic tag and a curfew.

At the time, Mr Rasul's elderly father Ummat only had days to live and the curfew meant he could not be at his bedside in his final hours.

"As I got there, the undertakers were just taking his body away. That weighs quite heavily," he said.

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Mr Rasul's conviction was quashed in 2021, along with 39 others who were wrongfully charged, and earlier this year a bill throwing out the convictions of hundreds of other sub-postmasters entered into law.

Mr Rasul said: "I've never been hugged by so many people in such a short time.

"Those losses were entirely due to the computer system.

"I was convinced that they were, but they said 'how come you are the only one that is having the problem?'

"And that has been the theme throughout all of the people who have been charged."

The father-of-four said at first he only shared his ordeal with immediate family.

Farooq Khan said he wished he could have been there for his friend

His friend Farooq Khan heard of his experience during an interview with Nicky Campbell for BBC Radio 5 Live, in which he spoke about how "devastating" and "painful" his conviction had been.

Mr Khan said: "He was going through this all these years. I wish I knew.

"I could have been there to do whatever I could to support him".

Mr Rasul said his friend rang him up immediately to console him and said "he was right behind him, all the way".

Surviving the Post Office airs on BBC1 at 20:30 BST and is also available on BBC iPlayer.