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Sir Alan Bates, the prominent campaigner for Post Office victims, has reached a multi-million-pound compensation agreement with the Post Office, sources familiar with the matter have confirmed to the BBC.
The payout for Sir Alan follows more than two decades of advocacy for justice on behalf of those impacted by the Horizon scandal. This scandal culminated in 555 sub-postmasters initiating landmark legal action against the Post Office.
The specific amount of the settlement remains undisclosed, and Sir Alan has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Between 1999 and 2015, over 900 sub-postmasters faced wrongful prosecution due to accounting discrepancies flagged by the faulty Horizon IT system.
Hundreds more invested their personal savings into their branches to cover alleged shortfalls, hoping to avoid prosecution.
The ensuing stress led to marital breakdowns, severe health issues, addiction, and, in some tragic instances, premature death, according to affected families.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade stated, “We commend Sir Alan Bates for his unwavering dedication to campaigning for the victims.”
“We can confirm that Sir Alan’s claim has concluded the scheme process and has been settled.”
As of September 2025, a total of £1.23 billion has been awarded to more than 9,100 sub-postmasters.
Sir Alan initially received an offer of redress in January 2024, which he declined, deeming it “cruel and derisory.”
Another offer was made in May 2024, which he stated was approximately one-third of his request. In May of this year, he indicated receiving a third offer for less than 50% of his original claim.
Sir Alan participated in the Group Litigation Order compensation scheme, which offers claimants either £75,000 or the option to pursue an individual settlement.
Tim Brentnall, a former sub-postmaster from Pembrokeshire, had his conviction for false accounting overturned.
Brentnall told BBC Radio Wales Drive that Sir Alan’s “tenacity and dogged spirit” sustained him and other sub-postmasters throughout the past two decades.
“We all owe him a great debt.”
Public awareness of the Post Office/Horizon scandal intensified last year following the portrayal of Sir Alan’s fight for justice in the ITV drama series “Mr Bates vs the Post Office.”
The government has adopted nearly all recommendations from a report issued after a public inquiry into the scandal.
The inquiry detailed the comprehensive human cost of the scandal, stating that over 13 individuals may have died by suicide as a result of their experiences.
Earlier this year, Sir Alan accused the government of presenting a “take it or leave it” compensation offer amounting to less than half of his claim.
Numerous victims have previously voiced concerns about being pressured to accept inadequate compensation offers without legal representation.
Last month, the government announced that all compensation claimants will now be entitled to free legal counsel to assist them with their offers.
There are currently three distinct compensation schemes targeting different groups of victims.
Individual eligibility for compensation hinges on the specific details of each case.
However, these schemes have faced criticism for being excessively slow and complex, resulting in many of the most severely affected victims receiving significantly less than their initial claims.
Sir Alan informed the inquiry that his lawyers included compensation for his 20 years of campaigning for justice for other victims as part of his individual settlement plan.
He said: “I’m trying to fight for everyone’s financial redress in this but I’ve also got to fight for my own as well.”
He said his lawyers added the 20 years’ compensation to his claim without his knowledge.
The Queensgate branch is to remain open until Christmas Eve before closing for good.
Henderson Shaw was “at the heart” of Kelloholm in Dumfries and Galloway for almost six decades.
A Post Office spokesperson says the Lichfield Street branch will close on 16 March.
After its permanent branch was set on fire, an interim branch of the Post Office is now moving.
Guernsey Post says the move is part of plans to make the service “fit for the future”.
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