Betty Brown, the oldest known surviving victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of her unwavering services to justice following years of campaigning against wrongful prosecutions.
Mrs. Brown, 92, alongside her late husband Oswall, managed the Annfield Plain Post Office in County Durham starting in 1985. The couple were tragically forced to leave in 2003 after using more than £50,000 of their personal savings to rectify non-existent accounting shortfalls.
She recently received her long-awaited financial settlement from one of the government’s compensation programs.
Speaking with BBC Breakfast, Mrs. Brown stated that she accepted the honor, which was bestowed upon her in the New Year Honours list, on behalf of all victims of the Horizon scandal.
“Every one of them should have an OBE,” she asserted.
“Every one of them for what they’ve [Post Office] put us through and what we have stood solid and faithful for. I did it for justice.”
The faulty Horizon IT system led to the wrongful prosecution of over 900 sub-postmasters due to its production of incorrect financial information. Thousands more, including Mrs. Brown, were compelled to cover supposed losses at their Post Office branches across the United Kingdom.
The Horizon scandal has been widely described as one of the most extensive miscarriages of justice in British history.
Expressing her sentiments on being named an OBE, Mrs. Brown conveyed that she was “honored and humbled,” adding that she felt she had finally “been heard by the system”.
Mrs. Brown’s recognition is not the first of its kind within the New Year Honours list. Last year, four former sub-postmasters turned campaigners were honored for their services to justice. Furthermore, Sir Alan Bates, the subject of the ITV drama “Mr Bates vs The Post Office”, was knighted in 2024.
The 92-year-old Mrs. Brown was among the original 555 claimants involved in the landmark group legal action against the Post Office, led by Sir Alan.
Her Post Office branch had been among the most successful in the region, but she was eventually forced to sell it at a loss.
In reflecting on the experience, she previously stated that it “absolutely destroyed my whole life.”
Both Mrs. Brown and Sir Alan were part of the Group Litigation Order compensation scheme, which offered claimants the option of accepting a fixed sum of £75,000 or pursuing an individualized settlement.
Upon receiving her settlement in November 2025, she told the BBC: “At last, after 26 years, they’ve recognised justice,” and added: “pity they took so long.”
A government spokesperson stated, “We must never lose sight of the Horizon scandal’s human impact on postmasters and their families, which the Horizon inquiry has highlighted so well.
“Betty Brown has been a fierce advocate for postmasters and this government has now paid out over £1.3bn to more than 10,000 victims.”
Following the release of the official inquiry’s initial report in July, the Post Office issued an “unreserved” apology for the distress “caused to postmasters and their loved ones”.
Work recognised by King Charles includes that carried out by community leaders and police officers.
Work by recipients recognised includes improving heart health and Liberation Day commemorations.
Twelve people have been awarded OBEs, MBEs and BEMs as part of the King’s New Year Honours List.
A number of people have been recognised for all the good work they do in their local communities.
Several local people receive MBEs in recognition of their work to support their local community.