• 2 months ago

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00:00Well, I tend to go for a seven, a double missing, because my tension's too tight, but a seven
00:18and a half, I think, yeah.
00:20One first class stamp there, Megan.
00:22Twenty-eight papers.
00:23How much?
00:24And a daylight robbery.
00:25That's the post office for you.
00:26That's the post office for you.
00:56Oh, Alan.
01:01Alan.
01:03Alan Binks.
01:05Oh, thugs in suits.
01:07You know why we're here, Alan.
01:09And you know you're a day early.
01:11Oi, there's a queue here.
01:13I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but this post office is now closed.
01:17Not yet it isn't.
01:18That's 239, Tom, please.
01:20Alan.
01:21Come on, let us in, please.
01:22Yeah.
01:24If you'd like to make an appointment for after my so-called contract ends, I shall inspect
01:29my diary for a window.
01:31We have a right of entry.
01:33I'm the sub-postmaster, so I'm locked in, and everyone else is locked out.
01:38So, if you want to see my accounts, you'll have to come back tomorrow.
01:47Right.
01:49Come on.
01:50We're going to need some help.
01:51Right.
01:52Go on, please.
01:53Sorry about that.
01:54Tom.
01:55I'm calling from Prigodon Post Office.
01:59They're not calling me a thief.
02:01They wouldn't dare.
02:03They say money's somehow gone missing from this branch, which it hasn't.
02:07And I have to pay it back, which I won't.
02:10So I say, prove it.
02:12Prove that I'm wrong and you're right.
02:15Show me the figures.
02:16But they can't or won't do that.
02:18Alan.
02:19So now they want to close me down to shut me up.
02:22That's ridiculous.
02:23Because they don't want everyone knowing what I know.
02:26Which is?
02:27That the clancy new computer system that they've spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.
02:32No one else has ever reported any problems with Horizon.
02:36No one.
02:37I don't believe you.
02:39So, no actual crime has been committed here today?
02:43Well, Post Office Limited is stealing my livelihood.
02:49My shop.
02:50My job.
02:52My home.
02:53My life savings.
02:54My good name.
02:56Civil matter.
02:58Righto.
02:59You're getting back to the day job.
03:01Might want to come back tomorrow, sir.
03:07How exactly do you sleep at night?
03:10Same time tomorrow?
03:25Can't be just us, can it?
03:32Morning, Marianne.
03:33Morning.
03:36Hello, Jane.
03:37You all right?
03:39Morning, Jo.
03:40Morning, Jo.
03:41Morning, Jo.
03:42All right, Trevor, how's ya?
03:44Hiya, Mary.
03:45Morning.
03:46With you in a minute.
03:47No rush.
03:48Morning, Jo.
03:54Oh, you smell good.
03:56Don't turn your back, they'll all be gone.
04:02That's better, Diane.
04:03Can't find it anywhere. It's my pension book. I can't find it anywhere.
04:07Yeah, you haven't lost your pension book.
04:09I keep it in my drawer, remember?
04:20Sorry.
04:22Spinning plates.
04:23Well, that's as much as I can do to get myself into court every morning with my hair brushed.
04:27A dozen first class, please.
04:29Whisper it, legal eagle, but I'm happy a-baking.
04:32Bookkeeping.
04:34Accounts and computers.
04:36Not so much.
04:38Here you go.
04:40Thanks, Diane.
04:41Have a good day.
04:44No job, no income, nowhere to live.
04:48All our hopes, dreams, all our savings down the pan.
04:56It's killing us, Alan.
04:58Hair's actually falling out.
05:07I'm not letting the post office get away with this.
05:11You're right it is.
05:21Come on, concentrate.
05:24Well, I'm thinking somewhere quiet, up in the hills.
05:29I can walk, you can paint.
05:31Am I not allowed to walk?
05:33Am I not allowed to walk?
05:36Just tell me how we're going to afford any of these places.
05:40We'll work.
05:42It's what people do.
05:44Now, come on, Suzanne.
05:46If we're going to walk away, let's do it with our heads held high.
05:49Okay.
05:53And so they head off into an uncertain future.
05:57On the plus side, it won't be us hanging around on the phone anymore.
06:03Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
06:06Oh, no.
06:08Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
06:13Hello, how can I help?
06:15Oh, hi, it's Jo Hamilton here from South Warnborough.
06:19I'm trying to produce this week's cash account.
06:21And what's the problem?
06:22I know it's probably me because I'm really rubbish with technology,
06:25but I've declared my cash, I've declared my stock,
06:29I've done it all three times, and I still can't get it to balance.
06:32I hate Wednesdays.
06:34And what does Horizon say?
06:37It says I've taken £2,032.67 more than I think I have.
06:44Okay, re-declare your stock holding.
06:47So that will automatically create a discrepancy, okay?
06:50It'll have inflated your cash holding,
06:52so now I want you to reverse that difference.
06:55Righto.
06:58So now, if you re-declare everything, it'll balance, okay?
07:01This is so helpful, thank you.
07:03Don't go away, stay with me till I've done it.
07:09Oh, my God.
07:11It's just doubled right in front of my eyes.
07:15Now it says I'm £4,000 down.
07:18It'll sort itself out, these things do.
07:20In the meantime... I was only doing what you told me.
07:24In the meantime, you'll need to make good the loss.
07:27I haven't got that money, and I don't know where it's gone.
07:31I'm sorry, you are responsible for balancing your account
07:34and making good any shortfalls.
07:49You did your best, love.
07:51Well, I wrote a lot of letters.
07:54MPs, ministers, post office chairman,
07:57Daily Telegraph, Computer Weekly.
08:00I thought they'd have shown an interest at least.
08:02Putting it behind us now.
08:08I'm sorry.
08:10I'm sorry.
08:12I'm sorry.
08:14I'm sorry.
08:16I'm sorry.
08:40Er, I thought we were walking away.
08:42Back burner.
08:44Can I get a room for my sewing room?
08:46No problem.
08:51Alan?
08:52Oh, Pierre.
08:57Careful. Give us a hand.
08:59Do you really want to be keeping all of these?
09:02Just in case.
09:04I'll, er... I'll go through them all later.
09:07Mind your back.
09:10Is something wrong with my back?
09:12Yeah, not yet.
09:17All put away, sorted.
09:19Er, almost forgotten.
09:21Maybe things are starting to look up.
09:24Shall we investigate the local pub?
09:27Things are definitely starting to look up.
09:39WHISTLE BLOWS
09:42WHISTLE BLOWS
10:07No, no, no, no, no.
10:09I'm sorry, Mum. There's nothing left to take out my wages.
10:13My savings are already gone.
10:15My credit cards are maxed out.
10:18I know I should have told you before, but I didn't want to scare you.
10:22It's all right, love.
10:26You're her husband. Tell her it's all right.
10:30I don't know.
10:32Jo, how did the post office money get lost?
10:36I mean, what is it you've been doing wrong?
10:39I don't know either. I have no idea.
10:43Oh, I don't want to cry.
10:47I kept thinking one day some kind of electronic wizardry would kick in
10:51and it would just sort itself out, but it never has.
10:54And now the computer says my shortfall's gone up to £9,000, so...
11:01Remortgage in the house, though.
11:03I know what I'm suggesting is really awful,
11:05but, David, there's the 40-year lease on the shop,
11:08and if they sack me, we'll lose everything.
11:11This house. Our home.
11:14I have to make good my shortfalls. It says so in my contract.
11:21I have to find the money to pay them back.
11:26If it draws a line under it.
11:28If it draws a line under it.
11:43Verizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
11:46All our agents are busy right now, but please continue to hold.
11:52Dad, I can't find my trainers.
11:55We looked under your bed. Have a look.
11:58Verizon Helpline, thank you for waiting.
12:00Ah, yeah, it's Lee Castleton here again, from Bridlington.
12:04Yeah, look me up, it's all there.
12:06OK, hold on. Thank you.
12:10Daddy! Yeah, just go and ask your mum, love.
12:14OK, yeah, I've got your file here.
12:16Yeah, right, now, you'll see from my record,
12:18this is the 91st time I've called you about these shortfalls.
12:22Yeah, it's odd. No-one else is having these problems.
12:25I still can't make any sense of these figures.
12:27You know, I still wonder, someone might have hacked into my account.
12:30No, no, no, that's impossible. Branch accounts are totally secure.
12:33OK, right, so, if it's definitely something that I'm doing wrong,
12:36please, can you just tell me what?
12:39Yeah, you want to request a visit from the auditors?
12:41Yes, yes, finally, thank you.
12:43Here, look, it's at the bottom of it.
12:45All right, have a good day, kids.
12:48Right, I'm, um, listen, I'm going to write it down now,
12:51so, yeah, they're definitely going to call me, right?
12:53What you need to do is isolate your transaction.
12:56You need to put in a number that is one digit higher or lower,
12:59or the computer won't find it.
13:02How's that supposed to work?
13:04I don't know, it just works. Do it.
13:09Last time it showed a loss, I had to remortgage my house.
13:12I can't understand why it's happened again.
13:14Me neither. Nobody else has these problems.
13:17You know, you must balance tonight, or you can't open in the morning.
13:20I have to open in the morning. My old ladies rely on me.
13:24So, one digit higher or lower.
13:27You're taking the must-match-your-balance-on-your-horizon decision.
13:50All right.
14:20Yeah.
14:51God forgive me.
15:00I'll be fine, Mrs Goggins. The post always gets through.
15:04Mummy. Mummy.
15:09Mummy, they're leaving.
15:15Mummy.
15:16Mummy, they're leaving.
15:22Mum, it's just near me now to see Daddy. I'll be back in a minute.
15:30Thanks for all your help, yeah?
15:34Did they find the problem?
15:36£26,000 has gone missing.
15:38You what?
15:39£26,000.
15:41Let's go through those figures again, right now.
15:43Not allowed.
15:44Eh?
15:45Suspended. Locked out my own post office till I pay it all back.
15:48£26,000?
15:52What are we going to do?
15:55Fight.
16:06Whatever it is you're reading, Alan,
16:08are you doing it in an annoyingly significant manner?
16:11Year one of the degree, there's a core foundation course
16:14including programming and problem solving.
16:19Let's see.
16:23Oh, God. Computer science.
16:26Why don't you do English or philosophy or...?
16:30Computer science is good. It's career planning.
16:33In which case, why not aromatherapy or golf club management?
16:37And my student grant will help keep this roof over our heads.
16:42Also, we'll be able to set up a website
16:45so people will be able to find us.
16:49People.
16:53Meaning sub-postmasters.
16:57Three years since we lost the post office,
16:59and come on, Suzanne, we're walking away.
17:02Has a single day gone by when you've thought about anything else?
17:08I got a job.
17:12Teaching?
17:14Cleaning.
17:16Offices.
17:19Start next week.
17:23No shame in it, is there?
17:31One day.
17:33One day what?
17:34We'll get the bastards.
17:43Right, Millie, you've been quiet all the way home.
17:45What's bothering you?
17:46Don't tell her.
17:48Er, don't tell me what?
17:49That boy made a big spit in Millie's hair.
17:53He did what?
17:54The same one who said Dad stole lots of money off old people.
17:59Millie?
18:00You know that's not true, OK?
18:03Your dad is not a thief.
18:06He's not.
18:09Go on, go upstairs, go play.
18:10I'll be up in a minute, OK?
18:17Yeah, look at this. Look, look.
18:18Right, I've been through these a hundred times.
18:20I don't know if I haven't seen it before. Look.
18:21I'm going to have to talk to the school.
18:2323rd of March, right?
18:24I'm going to have to talk to the school.
18:26I'm going to have to talk to the school.
18:2823rd of March, right?
18:29I'm logged in on Terminal 1.
18:32I put in the transaction
18:35and it shows up on Terminal 2.
18:39That should never happen.
18:40That's proof.
18:41It's proof there's something wrong with the system.
18:43Lee, the children.
18:45The bullying is getting worse.
18:49I know.
18:51The only way to stop it
18:53is to prove that I'm not a thief, right?
18:56It must be a bug.
18:57It must be...
18:58It must be a computer bug
19:00or...
19:01or something.
19:03Right.
19:05What are you doing?
19:08Lee?
19:09Look, there's 15,000 post offices on that list.
19:12Are you just going to randomly call them all up
19:14and ask them if the computer is broken?
19:15How else am I going to find someone with the same problem
19:17before my case goes to court?
19:19I've got to show them it's not just me.
19:21Lisa, the post office
19:23are suing us for £26,000,
19:26which we didn't steal
19:27and we haven't got hanging around in piggy banks.
19:33OK.
19:34Hello, Oxford Road Post Office.
19:36Hello. Yeah, I'm really sorry to bother you.
19:38My name's Lee Castleton.
19:40Sorry, mate, I don't take cold calls.
19:45It's all right, I'll just call the next one.
19:56Please.
20:04Joe?
20:06Joe!
20:08Don't come in here, babe.
20:10You can't keep working these hours.
20:12You'll kill yourself.
20:16Joe.
20:18Love.
20:20I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
20:22I keep trying over and over
20:24and I can't make it work.
20:26The numbers, they just slide away from me
20:28and I don't know where the money is.
20:30I don't know where it's gone.
20:32They need to send someone down here
20:34to sort this out.
20:36They'll sack me.
20:38Oh, Joe.
20:41You need help.
20:55This is Hamilton.
20:57I'm Ryan Fleming from the investigations team.
21:01I'll need those keys.
21:03Oh, of course, yes.
21:06OK.
21:11Morning, Joe.
21:17What's going on?
21:19Nothing.
21:22This is Hamilton.
21:24Are you surprised to learn that the audit you requested
21:28found a shortfall of £36,644.89?
21:36I've never been able to get to grips with the system.
21:39And when I tried to get help...
21:41As you must know, your contract with the police
21:44has been terminated.
21:46What?
21:48When I tried to get help...
21:50As you must know, your contract with us makes clear
21:53losses are your responsibility.
21:55Like once, I was on the phone to the helpline and it doubled.
21:58It just doubled, the shortfall, before my very eyes.
22:01Mrs Hamilton, this is public money.
22:03We need to talk about how you're going to pay it back.
22:06Sizing this place up for the bailiffs?
22:08Let me tell you, this house is my house too.
22:11So you can keep your thieving hands off it
22:14and tell your evil bosses I said so.
22:17The details we uncovered today do not appear
22:19in any of the weekly accounts you've been submitting.
22:22My daughter is not a thief.
22:24A formal investigation will follow...
22:26Look, can I just say something?
22:29Why would I do this?
22:31I love my post office.
22:33Until then, I'm suspending you, Mrs Hamilton.
22:35With immediate effect.
22:43BELL RINGS
22:47Hello. Hello.
22:49I think I might need a solicitor.
22:52Oh, um, but I do... I mainly just do criminal work.
22:56That's good. That's great.
23:05You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence
23:08if you do not mention when questioned
23:10something which you later rely on in court.
23:12Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
23:18This is your cash account final for week 24.
23:24Is that your signature?
23:27No comment.
23:33This is your branch trading statement for period 10.
23:36It states that the cash-in-hand figure
23:39is £35,515.83.
23:43£35,515.83.
23:47Is that a true amount of the cash on hand
23:50for that transaction statement?
23:52No comment.
23:55Have you deliberately inflated that cash figure...
23:59No comment.
24:01..to cover the fact that you've been stealing post office money?
24:04No comment.
24:08Where's the money, Jo?
24:10What have you spent it on?
24:13No comment.
24:20Well, it's good to have a rehearsal, I suppose.
24:23Before I have to do it properly with the police.
24:26With the police?
24:28They'll arrest me now, for sure.
24:32Jo, the post office don't need the police.
24:36The post office has the right to run its own criminal investigations,
24:40all the way to the Crown Court.
24:42It's been that way for 300 years.
24:47Disgraced sub-postmaster Noel Thomas is tonight behind bars,
24:51starting a nine-month prison sentence.
24:54Used to be a federation, that.
24:57Caernarfon Crown Court heard today that county councillor Thomas
25:00was previously regarded as honest, respectable,
25:03a pillar of his community in Anglesey.
25:06The 59-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to false accounting
25:09and is now facing up to £48,000.
25:12Did she just say £48,000?
25:17Well, that's not the odd bit of shortfall.
25:20It's a hell of a lot of money, Suzanne.
25:23And he's pleaded guilty, so...
25:27Didn't look guilty, though, did he?
25:29Looked bloody terrified.
25:32How do we know what pressure they're putting people under?
25:39MUSIC PLAYS
26:03Everything all right?
26:05What is it?
26:10Royal Courts of Justice? In London?
26:13I'll be the only one there not wearing a wig.
26:16Oh, God, Lee.
26:18Be fine, be fine. I'll just show the judge my logs
26:20and I'll explain about Horizon.
26:22I'll just tell the truth. Be fine.
26:24It's not a criminal court, is it?
26:26They're just suing us for the money.
26:28But, Lee, they'll have so many big lawyers and you...
26:31Yeah, I know, and I'll be representing myself, yeah.
26:33Due to the fact they haven't got a spare million quid to spend.
26:36Look, Lisa, you've just got to trust in the British justice system
26:40and everything will be all right.
26:42You've just got to tell the truth.
26:45It's fine. Don't worry.
26:48Right, erm...
26:50DOOR SLAMS SHUT
26:52MUSIC PLAYS
27:07SIGHS
27:17It's called a plea bargain.
27:19The deal is the post office will drop the theft charge
27:22if you agree to plead guilty to false accounting instead.
27:25And the plea bargain keeps me out of prison?
27:30Well...
27:33Sorry.
27:36How is 14 charges of false accounting
27:40better than one charge of theft?
27:42Theft is much bigger.
27:44And if you fight it and the jury is not on your side,
27:47then you will go to prison.
27:50Also, there are two conditions to the plea bargain.
27:53The post office say you have to pay back all the money.
27:56£36,000! How am I going to do that?
27:59And you must undertake not to blame the Horizon system.
28:03Well, I am guilty. I am.
28:05Because I did sign all those accounts when I knew they were wrong.
28:08But I never stole that money. I never saw a penny of it.
28:12Is he on? I still don't know where it went.
28:18Computers drive me mad.
28:20I never got used to Horizon and I won't say I love it now,
28:23but I can't claim we've had any real problems, so...
28:26No, no, I appreciate you talking to me. Thank you.
28:28I've got to go. Bye-bye.
28:30All right, bye-bye.
28:39Hello? Sorry about that. Had to nip at the back.
28:42Everyone's scared to talk.
28:44There's just one guy that can help.
28:47Hello? Yeah, I was hoping to speak to Alan Brown.
28:50You're Lee, right? I've been expecting your call.
28:53Yeah.
28:54What happened here in Falkirk is that one of our terminals
28:58just stopped communicating with the network.
29:00Horizon didn't pick it up.
29:02No alarms were ringing.
29:04Some kind of bug.
29:06And that bug could be affecting every office in the country
29:09with more than one terminal.
29:11That's the same thing. Exactly the same thing that happened here.
29:14And they always tell you you're on your own.
29:16Now, don't get too excited, laddie,
29:18cos I'm not going on record with any of this.
29:21No, I just thought that's what you...
29:23I've got thousands invested in this business
29:25and I can't afford to make an enemy of Post Office Limited.
29:28Wait, what's the point...?
29:29Look, I'll forward you a group email I sent some friends.
29:32You can use that if it helps.
29:35What, you're going to send it now? Yes.
29:37All right. Right, thank you.
29:55MUSIC SWELLS
30:18These so-called shortfalls, they're not real.
30:22Your system, it produces them out of nowhere.
30:27I'm a systems specialist employed by Fujitsu, the manufacturer.
30:31I was unable to identify any basis
30:33on which Horizon could have caused the losses.
30:36No, no, you see, no, I happen to know of another branch
30:40where the same thing has happened.
30:42You must ask Mrs Chambers a question, Mr Castleton.
30:46Oh, OK, sorry. Just give me a...
30:49You mean the branch at Calendar Square in Falkirk?
30:53Yes, that's it, yeah, the exact same thing.
30:55It's happening there.
30:57I think we both have the same computer bug.
31:01Yes, but the problem at Calendar Square
31:03arose from an error in the Horizon system.
31:06My lord, there is no evidence of any such thing
31:09at Mr Castleton's branch.
31:11No, no, no, it's the same thing.
31:13It's a computer bug.
31:15It's...
31:17It's...
31:19The conclusion is inescapable that the Horizon system
31:23was working properly in all material respects
31:26and that the shortfall is real.
31:28But the losses must have been caused by Mr Castleton's own error.
31:33There will thus be a judgment on the claim against the defendant
31:37for £25,858.95.
31:42The claimant is entitled to the costs in the case
31:46and accordingly Mr Castleton is ordered to pay
31:49all post office limited costs in the total sum of £321,000.
32:12It's all empty.
32:14Come on, you two, let's get inside.
32:17And that was me, thinking I could fight him.
32:20But now his shop's gone and we're stuck living above it
32:23because we can't sell it.
32:25Our proceeds will go to the post office because I'm bankrupt.
32:28But, you know, I was an electrician when I was in the RAF,
32:32so at least I've still got a trade,
32:34but it just means I'm living out my car a bit.
32:37People think my wife's kicked me out,
32:39but it's not that, it's not that.
32:41You've got to go where the work is, don't you?
32:43Mr Castleton, I'm calling about the computer logs you sent us.
32:46Yeah, I'm sorry, it's me going home myself.
32:49Yeah, I saw an advert,
32:52free expert help with any computer problems.
32:55Yeah, I'm still looking for answers, you see.
32:57I'm not an expert, I'm afraid, I'm just a reporter.
33:00Mr Castleton...
33:01It's Lee.
33:02Lee, yeah.
33:03Apart from the trap you spoke to in Scotland...
33:06Apart from the trap you spoke to in Scotland...
33:08Do you know if this has happened to anybody else?
33:10Well, it must have done.
33:12It can't just be me.
33:18Morning, Joe.
33:20I've never even had a parking ticket.
33:23Shall we?
33:32There we are.
33:33Ten o'clock, court one.
33:35The sentence, R.V. Hamilton,
33:39Queen versus Miss.
33:42I wonder if she knows.
34:06The post office, the shop,
34:09is at the heart of any community like ours.
34:13And Joe, well, we all love her.
34:16In some ways, she's more of the priest than I am.
34:20People confide in her.
34:22And she can always tell when someone's upset.
34:25You see, we trust her.
34:28And we just can't believe that any of this was on purpose in any way.
34:33Mrs Lees.
34:36Please stand up.
34:40Mrs Hamilton, what exactly are you doing in my court?
34:45I don't know, sir.
34:47I have a large number of testimonials before me from your community,
34:51all of whom seem to be here today,
34:53as to your trustworthiness.
34:55I still have no idea.
34:57This wasn't just a muddle.
34:59It turned into fraud.
35:00It's a very serious state of affairs
35:02for someone in whom the public is entitled to trust.
35:07However, in light of your previous good character,
35:11I do not intend to impose a custodial sentence.
35:15You will be sentenced to a community order for 12 months
35:20and weekly meetings with a probation officer.
35:23You're free to leave.
35:25All rise.
35:33I can't believe I'm not going to prison.
35:38You're all right.
35:42Maybe she was scared, Alan.
35:44Maybe she thought, put your hands up, get a lesser sentence.
35:48Now she's pleading guilty in court.
35:50Not everyone is as stubborn as you, God.
35:53Stubborn?
35:55I'll get it.
35:58Hello?
36:00Yeah, who's calling, please?
36:04Oh, OK. Yeah, OK.
36:06Alan, it's a reporter from Computer Weekly
36:10who's read about that woman in the paper
36:12and who wanted to talk to you about Horizon.
36:20Alan Bates?
36:22I can see you contacted us five years ago.
36:25Yeah, I'm sorry about that.
36:27Never mind. You're here now.
36:29It's odd, because everyone thinks of the post office
36:32as sort of warm and cuddly, but...
36:34You know, when I first got legal advice,
36:38right at the very beginning,
36:40I was warned that if I tried to take them to court,
36:44even if I won, the post office would just keep appealing
36:48till I ran out of money.
36:54But they never accused you of any wrongdoing?
36:56No, no, no. They never tried to prosecute me.
36:59You know what I think?
37:01I think they knew that there was something wrong with my system.
37:07But, Rebecca,
37:10how many other sub-postmasters have you found?
37:13Six. Who will go on the record?
37:16Plus you, if you're willing to.
37:19What do you think?
37:22Of course I will.
37:25Problem seems to be affecting a number of people.
37:29A seventh postmaster, Alan Bates,
37:32refused to sign his weekly accounts,
37:34saying it would have made him liable for any losses.
37:37He has called for a public inquiry.
37:40Good luck with that.
37:43Oh, you like this bit?
37:45A post office spokesman said,
37:47Horizon is an extremely robust system...
37:50Ha!
37:51..which operates over our entire post office network...
37:54..and successfully records millions of transactions each day.
37:59There is no evidence that points to any faults with the technology.
38:02We had the evidence. They wouldn't listen.
38:05We would always look into and investigate
38:08any issues raised by sub-postmasters.
38:11It hurts.
38:12Josephine!
38:13Well, honestly,
38:15we do accept that individual branches
38:18may experience very occasional failures.
38:21Yeah, right, I don't think so.
38:24Where have they gone?
38:26This poor chap got sent to prison.
38:29Hello?
38:36No.
38:39Jo? Yeah.
38:46Do you want a tea?
38:48Yes, please.
38:51I couldn't believe it when I first read about you.
38:54Fallen postmistress.
38:56What a claim to fame.
38:58Just...just the idea
39:01that there was anyone else caught up in the same trap.
39:05I don't miss the post office.
39:08Well, I miss the wages, but...
39:1117 years old when I started
39:14as a postman, delivering letters on my bike.
39:1942 years I worked for them.
39:22Think of it. Man and boy.
39:25Lord, no.
39:27They still sent you to prison.
39:30All I heard the judge say was
39:33nine months.
39:36I couldn't believe it. Couldn't.
39:39And then...
39:41taken down.
39:46Had my 60th birthday behind bars, Jo.
39:51It was hell on Earth.
39:57I'm really glad you came.
40:04Can you believe this chap?
40:07Just kept refusing to sign his accounts.
40:10Kept refusing to pay.
40:13Bloody hero.
40:18Oh, my God, never in a million years would it have occurred to me I could do that.
40:22They wrote off my first so-called shortfall
40:25when I jumped up and down and complained about it.
40:28You never thought it was your fault?
40:30Never.
40:31Why am I such a fool?
40:33I mean, I never even thought about the computers,
40:36except that it was weird when they said I wasn't allowed to blame it.
40:40I hope you don't mind me getting in touch.
40:42Don't mind at all.
40:45But, Jo,
40:47can I ask you one thing?
40:49Anything.
40:51Why did you plead guilty?
40:53Oh.
40:55I didn't want to.
40:56Oh, my God, no, but
40:59I really didn't want to go to prison.
41:01And I didn't know how to prove I was innocent.
41:04You shouldn't have to.
41:06It's supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.
41:10Yeah, right.
41:13So what do we do now?
41:16Alan, any ideas?
41:26Thank you for waiting.
41:29HE CHUCKLES
41:34I guess I'll have my sewing room in the next life, then.
41:37Won't be for long.
41:50Bridlington, Hampshire, Chelmsford, Somerset,
41:55Falkirk and two in North Wales.
41:57That's the seven from Computer Weekly.
42:00Then there's the two that came via our website.
42:05But where are all the others?
42:09I'm thinking, test the water,
42:12set up a meeting, send out invitations,
42:15see if anyone turns up.
42:19Somewhere central.
42:23Birmingham, that's pretty central.
42:27Fenny Compton.
42:29Fenny...?
42:30Compton.
42:32OK.
42:34It's a lovely ring to it.
42:36Just the place to start really annoying the hell out of the post office.
42:42808 inhabitants.
42:45And a church hall.
42:47Still think maybe Birmingham.
42:49Ah, today Fenny Compton,
42:51tomorrow the world.
42:53HE CHUCKLES
42:57Yeah.
43:00This could be huge.
43:02Or nobody might turn up.
43:09It's got to be worth a try.
43:24BIRDS CHIRP
43:39Jo?
43:42Alan!
43:44Guest on account of the cakes.
43:46I wasn't sure how many to bring.
43:48Hi, I'm Suzanne.
43:50Oh, hello.
43:51Oh, thank you.
43:55Oh, we can always take them home if nobody comes.
44:01I'll give it 20 minutes.
44:16Oh, wow.
44:18Oh!
44:20HE CHUCKLES
44:22Oh, wow. Alan, you did it.
44:25Look at everyone.
44:28Look at them all.
44:30Hi.
44:32You all here for the meeting?
44:34I guess we are.
44:37Well, you'd better come in then.
44:44We all look knackered.
44:46I suppose we are.
44:48I think what we've got.
44:50HE CHUCKLES
45:10Right, er...
45:13Well...
45:16Welcome, everyone.
45:21We're all here to share our experiences
45:26and put our heads together.
45:29We're here because...
45:39..the Post Office
45:42told every single one of us sat here today,
45:47told us over and over,
45:51you're the only one.
45:55And that was wrong.
45:57That was a lie, actually.
46:01Because, well, look at us.
46:07Here we all are.
46:10And from this moment forwards,
46:14none of us
46:17will be the only one ever again.
46:26God knows what is hiding
46:29In those weak and drunken hearts
46:33Guess he kissed the girls
46:35And made them cry
46:37Those hard-faced queens of misadventure
46:41People, help the people
46:47And if you're homesick
46:49Give me your hand and I'll hold it