Original subtitles

Well, I tend to go for a seven double knitting

because my tension's too tight but seven and a half, I think.

Yeah. Ta, love.

One first class stamp there, Megan. 28p please, love.

How much?

I know, daylight robbery!

That's the Post Office for you. (CHUCKLES)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Alan?

Alan! Management... Alan Bates?

Oh, thugs in suits.

You know, why we're here, Alan.

And you know you're a day early.

Oi! There's a queue here.

I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen,

but this post office is now closed.

Er, not yet, it isn't.

That's 2.39, Tom, please. Cheers, Alan.

Alan, come on. Let us in please.

Yeah?

If you'd like to make an appointment

for after my so-called contract ends,

I shall inspect my diary for a window.

We have a right of entry.

I'm the subpostmaster so I'm locked in.

And everyone else is locked out.

So, if you want to see my accounts...

you'll have to come back tomorrow.

Right.

Come on, we're gonna need some help. I'm calling the Police.

Sorry about that, Tom. Hello, Police please.

I'm calling from Craig-y-Don Post Office.

(SIREN WAILS)

They're not calling me a thief. They wouldn't dare.

They say money's somehow gone missing from this branch.

Which it hasn't. And I have to pay it back.

Which I won't. So, I say prove it.

Prove that I'm wrong and you're right.

Show me the figures. But they can't.

Alan... Or won't do that.

So, now they want to close me down to shut me up...

That's ridiculous.

..because they don't want everyone knowing what I know.

Which is?

That the fancy new computer system

that they've spent an arm and a leg on is faulty.

No-one else has ever reported any problems with Horizon.

No-one.

I don't believe you.

So, no actual crime has been committed here today?

Well, er, Post Office Limited is stealing, er, my livelihood,

my shop, my...my...my job, my home,

my life savings, my good name.

Civil matter. Righto.

We'll be getting back to the day job.

You might want to come back tomorrow, sir.

How exactly do you sleep at night?

Same time tomorrow?

It can't be just us, can it?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Morning, Marion! Morning, Jo.

You alright?

Hello, Jo. You alright?

Morning, Jen. Hiya.

Morning, Jo. Morning, Jo.

Hi, Trevor. Nadia.

Hi, Elaine! Jo.

Morning. With you in a minute.

No rush! Morning, Jo.

Ooh, you smell good.

Don't turn your back! They'll all be gone.

What's the matter, Diane?

I can't find it anywhere. It's my pension book.

I can't... I can't find it anywhere.

You haven't lost your pension book!

I keep it in my drawer, remember?

Sorry! Spinning plates.

Well, it's as much as I can do to get myself into court

every morning with my hair brushed.

Er, a dozen first class, please.

Whisper it, legal eagle, but I'm happier baking.

Book-keeping, accounts and computers...

not so much! There you go.

Thanks, Jo. Have a good day.

No job, no income, nowhere to live...

all our hopes, dreams, all our savings.

Down the pan.

It's killing us, Alan. My hair's actually falling out.

I'm not letting the post office get away with this.

They already did!

Come on, concentrate.

Well, I'm thinking somewhere quiet.

Up in the hills.

I can walk. You can paint.

Am I not allowed to walk?

(CHUCKLES)

Just tell me how we're going to afford any of these places?

We'll work. It's what people do.

Now, come on, Suzanne.

If we're going to walk away,

let's do it with our heads held high.

OK!

And so they head off into an uncertain future.

On the plus side,

it won't be us hanging around on the phone anymore.

Horizon helpline, thank you for waiting!

Oh, no! (LAUGHS)

Horizon Helpline, thank you for waiting...

Hello, how can I help?

Oh, hi.

Er, it's Jo Hamilton here from South Warnborough.

I'm trying to produce this week's cash account?

And what's the problem?

I know, it's probably me

because I'm really rubbish with technology,

but I've declared my cash, I've declared my stock,

I've done it all three times and I still can't get it to balance.

I hate Wednesdays.

And what does Horizon say?

It says I've taken 2,032.67 pounds

more than I think I have.

OK, redeclare your stock holding.

So, that'll automatically create a discrepancy, OK?

It'll have inflated your cash holding.

So, now I want you to reverse that difference.

Righto.

So, now if you redeclare everything, it'll balance. OK?

This is so helpful, thank you.

Don't go away, stay with me till I've done it.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Oh, my god! It...it...

it's just doubled right in front of my eyes!

Now...now it says I'm four thousand pounds down.

It'll sort itself out, these things do.

In the meantime...

But I was only doing what you told me!

In the meantime, you'll need to make good the loss.

I haven't got that money.

And I don't know where it's gone.

I'm sorry, you are responsible

for balancing your account and making good any shortfalls.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

You did your best, love.

Well, I wrote a lot of letters.

MPs, Ministers, Post Office Chairmen,

Daily Telegraph, Computer Weekly.

I'd have thought they'd have shown an interest at least.

We're putting it behind us now.

Er, I thought we were walking away?

Back burner.

We did say I could have that spare room for my sewing room?

No problem!

Alan?

Up here!

Careful. Give us a hand.

Do we really need to be keeping all of these?

Just in case.

I'll, er, I'll go through them all later.

Mind your back.

There's nothing wrong with my back.

Yeah, not yet.

All put away, sorted. Almost forgotten.

Hmm, then maybe things are starting to look up.

Shall we investigate the local pub?

Things are definitely starting to look up.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Right. OK.

No, no, no, no, no.

I'm sorry, Mum.

There's nothing left to take out of my wages.

My savings are already gone.

My credit cards are maxed out.

I know, I should have told you before,

but I didn't want to scare you.

It's alright, love.

You're her husband. Tell her it's alright.

I don't know.

Jo, how did the Post Office money get lost?

I mean, what is it you've been doing wrong?

I don't know either. I have no idea.

Oh, I don't wanna cry.

I kept thinking, one day some kind of electronic wizardry

would kick in and it would just sort itself out, but it never has.

And now the computer says

my shortfall's gone up to 9,000 pounds.

Remortgaging the house, though?

I know, what I'm suggesting is really awful.

But, David, there's the 40-year lease on the shop,

and if they sack me, we'll lose everything.

This house. Our home.

I have to make good my shortfalls. It says so in my contract.

I have to find the money to pay them back.

If it draws a line under it.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Horizon Helpline,

thank you for waiting.

All our agents are busy right now.

Please continue to hold.

Dad?

I can't find my trainers.

Have you looked under your bed? Have a look.

Horizon helpline, thank you for waiting.

Right, yeah.

It's er, it's Lee Castleton here again,

er, from Bridlington.

Yeah, look me up, it's all there.

OK, hold on.

Thank you.

Daddy!

Yeah, just go and ask your mum, love.

OK, yeah. I've got your file here.

Yeah, right.

Now, you'll see from my records,

this is the 91st time I've called you about these shortfalls.

Yeah, it's odd.

No-one else is having these problems.

I...I still can't make any sense of these figures.

You know, I still wonder

someone might have hacked into my account.

No, no, that's impossible. Branch accounts are totally secure.

OK, right.

So, if it's definitely something that I'm doing wrong,

please can you just tell me what.

Yeah, you want to request a visit from the auditors?

Yes, yes! Finally, thank you!

Yeah, they'll get to the bottom of it.

Off to school. Alright. Have a good day kids.

Right, I'm, um... Listen, I'm gonna...

I'm gonna write it down now

so, yeah, they'll definitely gonna me, right?

What you need to do is isolate your transaction.

You need to put in a number that is one digit higher

or lower or the computer won't find it.

How's that supposed to work?

I don't know, it just works. Do it.

Last time it showed a loss and I had to remortgage my house.

I can't understand why it's happened again.

Me neither. Nobody else has these problems.

You know, you must balance tonight, or you can't open in the morning?

I have to open in the morning, my old ladies rely on me.

So, one digit higher or lower.

Your takings must match your balance on your Horizon...

(TENSE MUSIC)

God forgive me.

I'll be fine, Mrs Goggins. The post always gets through.

Mummy? Mummy!

Mummy, they're leaving.

Mummy's just going down to see daddy.

I'll be back in a minute.

Thanks for all your help, yeah?

Did they find the problem?

26,000 pounds has gone missing.

You what? 26 grand.

Let's go through those figures again, right now.

Not allowed. Hey?

Suspended.

Locked out of my own post office until I pay it all back.

26,000?

What are we gonna do?

Fight.

Whatever it is you're reading, Alan,

you're doing it in an annoyingly significant manner.

Year one of the degree

there's a core foundation course including programming

and problem solving.

Let's see?

Oh, god! Computer Science?

Why don't you do English or philosophy?

Computer Science is good. It's career planning.

In which case why not Aromatherapy

or Golf Club Management?

And my student grant will help keep this roof over our heads.

Also, we'll be able to set up a website

so people will be able to find us.

People?

Meaning subpostmasters...

Three years since we lost the Post Office

and "Come on, Suzanne, we're walking away".

Has a single day gone by

when you've thought about anything else?

I got a job.

Teaching?

Cleaning... offices.

I start next week.

No shame in it, is there?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

One day.

One day what?

We'll get the bastards.

Right, Millie, you've been quiet all the way home.

What's bothering you?

Don't tell her.

Er, don't tell me what?

That boy made a huge big spit in Millie's hair.

He did what?

The same one who said dad stole lots of money off old people.

Millie?

You know, that's not true, OK?

Your dad is not a thief.

He's not.

Go on, go upstairs. Go and play. I'll be up in a minute, OK?

Now, look at this! Look, look!

Right, I've been through these a hundred times.

I don't know how I haven't seen it before. Look.

I'm going to have to talk to the school.

23rd March, right? I'm logged in on terminal one.

I put in the transaction and it shows up on terminal two.

That should never happen. That's proof!

It's proof there's something wrong with the system!

Lee, the children. The bullying is getting worse.

I know.

The only way to stop it, is to prove that I'm not a thief, right?

It must be a bug.

It must be...

it must be a computer bug or...or something.

Right...

What are you doing?

Lee?

Look, there's 15,000 post offices on that list.

And you're just gonna randomly call them all up

and ask them if their computer is broken?

How else am I gonna find someone with the same problem

before my case goes to court?

I've got to show them it's not just me.

Lisa, the Post Office are suing us for 26,000 pounds

which we didn't steal and we haven't got hanging around in piggy banks.

(LINE TRILLS)

OK.

Hello, Oxford Road Post Office.

Hello, yeah. I'm really sorry to bother you.

My name is Lee Castleton and I...

Sorry, mate, I don't take cold calls.

It's alright, I'll just call the next one.

Please...

(KNOCKING IN DOOR) Jo?

Jo.

Don't come in here, Mum.

You can't keep working these hours,

you'll kill yourself.

Oh, Jo. Love.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I keep trying over and over and I can't make it work.

The numbers, they just slide away from me

and I don't know where the money is, I don't know where it's gone.

They need to send someone down here to sort this out.

No, no, they'll sack me!

Oh, Jo, you need help.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Mrs Hamilton?

I'm Ryan Fleming from the Investigations Team.

Thank you.

I'll need those keys.

Oh, of course, yes.

Morning, Jo!

What's going on?

Nothing!

Mrs Hamilton,

are you surprised to learn that the audit

you requested found a shortfall

of 36,644.89 pounds?

I've never been able to get to grips with the system

and when I tried to get help...

As you must know,

your contract with us makes clear losses are your responsibility.

Like once, I was on the phone to the helpline

and it doubled, it just doubled, the shortfall, before my very eyes.

Mrs Hamilton, this is public money.

We need to talk about how you are gonna pay it back.

Sizing this place up for the bailiffs?

Let me tell you, this house is my house too,

so you can keep your thieving hands off it.

And tell your evil bosses I said so!

The shortfalls we uncovered today

do not appear in any of the weekly accounts

you've been submitting.

My daughter is not a thief.

A formal investigation will follow. No.

Can I just say something?

Why would I do this? I love my Post Office.

Until then I'm suspending you, Mrs Hamilton.

With immediate effect.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Jo! Hello.

I think, I might need a solicitor.

Oh, um, but I do, I...I mainly just do criminal work.

That's good. That's great.

You do not have to say anything,

but it may harm your defence

if you do not mention

when questioned something

which you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

This is your cash account

final for week 24.

Is that your signature?

No comment.

This is your Branch Trading Statement for period 10.

It states that the cash in hand

figure is 35,515.83 pounds.

Is that a true amount of the cash on hand

for that Transaction Statement?

No comment.

Have you deliberately inflated that cash figure...

No comment.

..to cover the fact

that you have been stealing Post Office money?

No comment.

Where's the money, Jo?

What have you spent it on?

No comment!

Oh, it was good to have a rehearsal, I suppose.

Uh-huh.

Before I have to do it properly with the police.

For the police?

Well, they'll arrest me now, for sure.

Jo, the Post Office don't need the police.

The Post Office has the right to run its own criminal investigations,

all the way to the Crown Court.

It's been that way for 300 years.

Disgraced subpostmaster, Noel Thomas is tonight behind bars,

starting a nine-month prison sentence.

He used to be a Federation man.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard today

that County Councillor Thomas

was previously regarded as honest, respectable,

a pillar of his community in Anglesey.

The 59-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty

to false accounting involving sums up to 48,000 pounds.

Did she just say 48,000 pounds?

Well, that's not the odd bit of shortfall.

It's a hell of a lot of money, Suzanne.

And he's...he's pleaded guilty so...

He didn't look guilty though, did he?

Looked bloody terrified.

How do we know what pressure they're putting people under?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Everything alright? What is it?

Royal Courts of Justice? In London?

I'll be the only one there not wearing a wig.

Oh, god, Lee...

It'll be fine, it'll be fine.

I'll just...I'll just show the Judge my logs

and I'll explain about Horizon.

And I'll just tell the truth.

It'll be fine.

It's not a criminal court, is it?

They're just suing us for their money.

But, Lee, they'll have so many big lawyers and...and you...

Yeah, I know, and I'll be representing myself, yeah.

Due to the fact I haven't got a spare million quid to spend.

Look, Lisa, we've just got to trust in the British justice system

and everything will be alright.

I've just got to tell the truth.

It's fine. Don't worry.

Alright, um...

It's called a plea bargain.

The deal is, the Post Office

will drop the theft charge,

if you agree to plead guilty

to false accounting instead.

And the plea bargain

keeps me out of prison?

Well...

Sorry.

How is 14 charges of false accounting

better than one charge of theft?

Theft is much bigger.

And if you fight it, and the jury is not on your side,

then you will go to prison.

Also, there are two conditions to the plea bargain.

The Post Office say you have to pay back all the money.

36,000 pounds. How I'm gonna do that?

And you must undertake not to blame the Horizon system.

Well, I am guilty.

I am, because I did sign all those accounts

when I knew they were wrong.

But I never stole that money. I never saw a penny of it.

Issy, I still don't know where it went.

Computers drive me mad.

I never got used to Horizon and I won't say I love it now,

but I can't claim we've had any real problems so...

No, no, I appreciate you talking to me.

Thank you. I've got to go. Bye-bye.

Alright. Bye, bye.

Hello?

Sorry about that, I had to nip out the back.

Everyone's scared to talk. There's just one guy that can help.

Hello, yeah. I...I was hoping to speak to an Alan Brown?

You're Lee, right? I've been expecting your call.

Yeah.

What happened here, in Falkirk,

is that one of our terminals

just stopped communicating with the network.

Horizon didn't pick it up, no alarms were ringing.

Some kind of bug.

And that bug could be affecting every office in the country

with more than one terminal.

That's the same thing!

Exactly the same thing that happened here.

You see, and they always tell you you're on your own.

Don't get too excited, laddie,

because I'm not going on record with any of this.

Well, no... I...I just thought that's what you...

I've got thousands invested in this business

and I can't afford to make an enemy of Post Office Limited.

Wait, but what's the point...

Look, I'll forward you a group email I sent some friends.

You can use that, if it helps?

Are you gonna send it now? Yes.

Alright. Alright, thank you.

(TENSE MUSIC)

(SIREN WAILS)

It's these so-called shortfalls, they're not real.

Your system, it produces them out of nowhere.

I'm a systems specialist employed by Fujitsu,

the manufacturer.

I was unable to identify any basis

on which Horizon could have caused the losses.

Ah, no, no, you see.

No, I...I happen to know of another branch

where the same thing has happened.

You must ask Mrs Chambers a question, Mr Castleton.

Oh, OK. Sorry.

Um, just give me a...

You mean the branch at Calendar Square in Falkirk?

Yes, that's it, yeah. The exact...the exact same thing.

It's happening there.

I...I think, that we both have the same computer bug...

Yes, but the problem at Calendar Square

arose from an error in the Horizon System.

My lord, there is no evidence

of any such thing at Mr Castleton's branch.

No, no... no, it's, it's the same thing.

It's a computer bug.

It's...it's...it's...it's a...

The conclusion is inescapable that the horizon system

was working properly in all material respects

and that the shortfall is real.

That the losses must have been caused by Mr Castleton's own error.

There will thus be a judgement on the claim against the defendant

for 25,858.95 pounds.

The claimant is entitled to their costs in the case,

and accordingly Mr Castleton is ordered to pay

all Post Office Limited's costs

in the total sum of 321,000 pounds.

It's all empty.

Come on, you two. Let's get inside.

And that was me, thinking I could fight them!

And now the shop's gone and we're stuck living above it

because we can't sell it

our proceeds will go to the Post Office

'cause I'm bankrupt.

But, you know, I...I...I was an electrician

when I was in the RAF

so at least I've still got a trade but it just means

I'm living out of my car a bit.

And people think my wife's kicked me out!

But it's not that it's not that.

It's just, you've got to go where the work is, don't you?

Mr Castleton,

I'm calling about the computer logs you sent us but...

Yeah, I'm sorry. It's me going on about myself.

Yeah, I saw, um, an advert,

er, 'free expert help with any computer problems'?

Yeah, I'm still looking for answers, you see.

I'm not an expert, I'm afraid,

I'm just a reporter.

Mr Castleton... Er, it's Lee.

Lee, Lee, yeah.

Apart from the chap you spoke to Scotland,

do you know if this has happened to anybody else?

Well, it must have done. It can't just be me.

Morning, Jo.

I've never even had a parking ticket.

Shall we?

There we are. 10:00. Court One.

For sentence, RV Hamilton.

The Queen versus me.

I wonder if she knows?

(APPLAUSE)

The Post Office,

the shop is at the heart of any community like ours.

And Jo, well, we all love her.

In some ways, she's more of the priest than I am.

People confide in her

and she can always tell when someone's upset.

You see, we trust her.

And we just can't believe that any of this was on purpose in any way.

Thank you, Mrs Leese.

Please stand up.

Mrs Hamilton, what exactly are you doing in my court?

I don't know, Sir.

I have a large number of testimonials before me

from your community,

all of whom seem to be here today as to your trustworthiness.

I still have no idea.

This wasn't just a muddle! It turned into fraud.

It's a very serious state of affairs

for someone in whom the public is entitled to trust.

However, in light of your previous good character,

I do not intend to impose a custodial sentence.

You will be sentenced to a Community Order for 12 months

and weekly meetings with a Probation Officer.

You're free to leave.

Court rise.

(APPLAUSE)

I can't believe I'm not going to prison!

You're alright, you're alright.

Maybe she was scared, Alan.

Maybe she thought, put your hands up,

get a lesser sentence.

Yeah, and now she's pleaded guilty in court.

Not everyone is as stubborn as you.

God! Huh, stubborn!

(PHONE RINGS)

I'll get it.

Hello.

Yeah. Who's calling please?

Oh, OK. Yeah, OK.

Alan?

It's a reporter from Computer Weekly

who's read about that woman in the paper.

And they want to talk to you about Horizon.

Alan Bates...

I can see you contacted us five years ago.

Yeah, I'm sorry about that.

Never mind, you're here now!

It's odd because everyone thinks

of the Post Office as sort of warm and cuddly.

(LAUGHS)

You know, when I first got legal advice,

right at the very beginning,

I was warned that if I tried to take them to court,

even if I won,

the Post Office would just keep appealing

until I ran out of money.

Thank you.

But they never accused you of any wrong doing?

No, no, no. They never tried to prosecute me.

You know, what I think?

I think, they knew

that there was something wrong with my system.

But Rebecca?

How many other subpostmasters have you found?

Six who will go on the record.

Plus you, if you're willing...

What do you think?

Course I will.

....problems seem to be affecting a number of people.

A seventh postmaster, Alan Bates,

refused to sign his weekly accounts,

saying it would have made him liable

for any losses.

He has called for a public inquiry.

Oh, good luck with that.

Oh, you'll like this bit.

A Post Office spokesman said

Horizon is an extremely robust system...

Ha!

..which operates over our entire Post Office network...

..and successfully records millions of transactions each day.

There is no evidence that points to any faults with the technology.

We had the evidence! They wouldn't listen!

We would always look into

and investigate any issues raised by sub-postmasters.

Turds!

Josephine! Well, honestly.

We do accept that individual branches

may experience very occasional failures.

Oh, yeah, right! I don't think so!

What else have they put?

This poor chap got sent to prison.

Hello?

Noel?

Jo?

Yeah!

Do you want a tea?

Yes, please!

I couldn't believe it when I first read about you.

Fallen postmistress. What a claim to fame.

Just...just the idea

that there was anyone else caught in the same trap.

I don't miss the Post Office!

Well, I miss the wages but...

17 years old when I started as a postman,

delivering letters on my bike.

42 years I worked for them.

Think of it. Man and boy.

Lord, Noel. And they still sent you to prison!

All I heard the judge say was 'nine months'.

I couldn't believe it, I couldn't.

And then 'take him down'.

I had my 60th birthday behind bars, Jo.

It was hell on earth.

I'm really glad you came.

Can you believe this chap?

Just kept refusing to sign his accounts.

Kept refusing to pay.

Bloody hero!

Oh, my god, never in a million years would it have occurred to me

I could do that.

They wrote off my first so-called shortfall

when I jumped up and down and complained about it.

You never thought it was your fault?

Never.

Why am I such a fool?

I mean, I never even thought about the computer,

except that it was weird

when they said I wasn't allowed to blame it.

I hope you don't mind me getting in touch.

I don't mind at all.

But Jo, can I ask you one thing?

Yeah, anything.

Why did you plead guilty?

Oh, I didn't want to. Oh, my god, no.

But I really didn't want to go to prison.

And I didn't know how to prove I was innocent.

You shouldn't have to.

It's supposed to be 'innocent until proven guilty'.

Yeah, right.

So, what do we do now?

Alan? Any ideas?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Thank you for waiting.

(CHUCKLES)

I guess I'll have my sewing room in the next life, then.

It won't be for long.

Bridlington, Hampshire, Chelmsford, Somerset,

Falkirk, and two in North Wales.

That's the seven from Computer Weekly.

Then there's the two that came via our website.

But where are all the others?

I'm thinking, test the water.

Set up a meeting, send out invitations,

see if anyone turns up?

Hmm.

Somewhere central.

Birmingham? That's pretty central.

Fenny Compton.

Fenny...

Compton.

OK.

Has a lovely ring to it.

Just the place to start

really annoying the hell out of the Post Office.

808 inhabitants... and a church hall.

I still think, maybe Birmingham?

Nah. Today, Fenny Compton.

Tomorrow, the world!

Well...

this could be huge.

Or nobody might turn up.

But it's got to be worth a try?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)

Jo?

Alan! (CHUCKLES)

Guessed, on account of the cakes.

I wasn't sure how many to bring.

Hi. Suzanne. Oh!

Oh, hello!

Oh, thank you.

Oh, we can always take them home if nobody comes.

We'll give it 20 minutes.

Oh, wow, oh!

Oh, wow.

Alan, you did it! Look at everyone!

Look at them all.

Hi.

Are you all here for the meeting?

Yes, we are.

Well, you... better come in then.

We all look knackered.

That's because we are.

Right, er, well...

Welcome, everyone.

We're all here to share our experiences

and put our heads together.

We're here because...

the Post Office

told every single one of us sat here today,

told us over and over,

'you're the only one'.

(MURMURING)

And that was wrong.

That was a lie, actually.

Because, well, look at us.

Here we all are.

And from this moment forwards.

None of us will be the only one ever again.