Will Mellor revisits the Post Office scandal in a new BBC documentary

The night before Will Mellor was offered a role in a TV drama about a Post Office scandal, he was considering giving up acting altogether.

He had been a familiar face on British screens for decades, but the work had started to dry up.

However, the next day his agent called to offer him the role of ex-subpostmaster Lee Castleton in the ITV film Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

He soon realized that it was more important than any role he had played before – and it would change the course of his life entirely.

Twenty-five years after the first convictions for theft and fraud, the four-part drama has sparked mass public interest in the Post Office scandal like never before.

It detailed the experiences of some of the hundreds of sub-postmasters prosecuted over incorrect information in the Horizon IT system, described as the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice in recent history.

The Post Office took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015.

Some innocent sub-postmasters were sent to prison and many were financially ruined.

Lee, the former sub-postmaster at Marine Drive Post Office in Bridlington, Yorkshire, tried to defend himself in the High Court against allegations that he stole money and was bankrupt when he lost the case.

“I didn’t know anything about the scandal before I read the script,” Will said.

“Like a lot of people, I read some things, I heard some things – it was about a broken computer system and I didn’t find it a compelling story.

“But when you see the effect of this and realize how isolated these people were, how they were made to feel like they were alone, how innocent they were made to feel like criminals – not only by the post office, but sometimes by communities – I think the audience really felt that and reacted as a result.”

The Post Office told the BBC it was sorry for the distress caused to so many people, adding it was now working in partnership with postmasters and was “committed to transforming the organisation”.

In a new BBC documentary Surviving the post officeWill revisits the story that has become such a big part of his life.

In the documentary, he met people from across England whose lives were shattered by the scandal and heard how they are trying to move on with their lives.

Many have never spoken publicly about their experience before.

One of those people was mother-of-three Stephanie Gibson, a former postal clerk from South Pelaw in County Durham.

In 2007, Stephanie – then aged 28 – was accused and taken to court after being wrongly accused of stealing money from the branch where she worked.

Her court case appeared on the front page of her local newspaper, alongside her photo.

After an eight-day trial, Stephanie was acquitted and a judge told her she could leave court “without tarnishing her character”.

“I should have been happy at that moment,” she told Will over a cup of tea in the kitchen.

“I just wanted to go back to a normal life.

“It didn’t work out that way.”

That evening, as she was putting her children to bed, a brick was thrown through her window.

In the days that followed, she had paint stripper poured on her car, spat on in the street, and was ostracized by people in her local community.

Stephanie and her young family moved out of the area almost immediately, fearing for their safety.

As a result, Stephanie’s world shrank beyond recognition – she became a recluse, leaving her new home only when absolutely necessary.

“What was shocking about Stephanie was the amount of time that had passed since she was acquitted,” Will said.

“She was still traumatized by it all and couldn’t move on – it affected her life, her children’s lives, even where she lived.

“Imagine waking up every day and sitting this down while everyone else goes about their lives.”

After talking about her ordeal, Stephanie agreed to have Will drive her down the street she ran from, returning for the first time in more than 16 years.

“She was shaking in the car on the way, holding the door,” he said.

“It was a physical response – I could see she was still in pain and still going through it all”

But an encounter with one of the street’s residents upon arrival changed everything.

“A former neighbor came over and gave Stephanie a hug,” he said.

“The emotion just poured out of her, she was crying, it was the release she just couldn’t have.

“It’s been huge and I think it’s the first step to recovery for her – hopefully she can sleep a bit better at night now and I’m so glad I was a part of it.”

The documentary also took Will to Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, to meet brother and sister Thomas and Katie Watson, the children of sub-postmaster Fiona Watson.

The family moved to the area when Thomas and Katie were eight and 10 years old respectively.

They have thrived in their new life at the heart of their local community living above the shop, which has been backed by a Post Office of the Year award.

But just a year later, Post office auditors got in touch – the money was missing from the accounts.

An internal investigation and a formal hearing followed.

“The option their mother gave them was to plead guilty, be a criminal, have no job, no post office but see your children or go to prison and not see your children Will said.

“What kind of option is that?”

It was devastating for the family, but worse news was to come.

During the inquest, Fiona was diagnosed with lymphoma and died shortly afterwards with her young children by her side.

Will said that when he met the brothers he realized they were suffering.

“It was written all over their faces. When they told me their story, I realized that this was a family completely torn apart.

“Their mother died a criminal – she was never proven innocent while she was alive.

“You can never get that back and I can’t imagine what they’ve been through.”

Thomas and Katie are pushing for a state-of-the-art reparations scheme to compensate the children of the scandal’s victims.

The Department for Business and Trade told the BBC that compensation for deputy directors and their families who have suffered is a priority of the new Labor government.

Describing the scandal as “appalling”, a department spokesman said financial losses were “taken into account under various compensation schemes” and families could claim financial compensation if a postmaster had died.

Will said the victims he met on his trip across England for the documentary Surviving the Post Office are never far from his thoughts.

“The story is with me all the time and I get angry every time I talk about it,” he said.

“People have lost their lives, people have lost their childhoods, their homes, time has been taken away that they will never get back.”

Yet for all the horror, injustice and tragedy of the post office scandal, Will said he believes the outpouring of public support has the power to be transformative for those who have suffered.

“I know I’ve spoken to Lee Castleton that he’s overwhelmed by the public’s support,” he said.

“And I still get it every day — every day someone stops me and says, ‘Well done to the Post Office.’

“Part of me feels a little guilty – I was just a small part of it, I’m an actor doing a job and I’m just grateful and privileged to be able to do that.

“But I’m proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of something positive about it, something that has the potential to give the victims of this scandal some hope.”

Surviving the post office is available to watch on iPlayer from 22 July and on BBC One at 8.30pm BST.

A companion podcast, The Post Office Scandalwill be released on BBC Sounds on the same day.