Post Office Scandal: The Inside Story

“An extraordinary journalistic expose of a huge miscarriage of justice.” – Ian Hislop, Editor, Private Eye.

“A tale brilliantly told by Nick Wallis, who has dedicated years of work to establishing what happened, why it happened and calling those responsible to account.” – Rev Richard Coles, presenter and author.

This is the true story of how hundreds of innocent people fought to clear their names after being pursued by the Post Office through the criminal courts. Proud pillars of their communities were stripped of their jobs and livelihoods. Many were forced into bankruptcy or borrowed from friends and family to give the Post Office thousands they did not owe. The really unlucky ones were sent to prison.

Having recently been adapted into the primetime ITV drama starring Toby Jones, Mr Bates vs the Post Office,  this jaw-dropping, unique and gripping story is now the subject of a compelling stage show.

Journalist/broadcaster Nick Wallis (BBC Radio 4’s The Great Post Office Trial, Private Eye’s Justice Lost in the Post, BBC1’s Panorama Scandal at the Post Office, The One Show and Channel 5’s Criminals Caught on Camera) has drawn on his decade of covering the story to write a best-selling book (The Great Post Office Scandal – serialised by the Daily Mail and featured by the Sunday Times), and it is this book which forms the basis of his new show.

Nick (also a consultant on the ITV Drama) expertly chronicles the twists and turns of the scandal, taking in the shambolic commissioning of the disastrous Post Office Horizon IT system and examining the punitive methods employed by the Post Office – bypassing the police and the Crown Prosecution Service – to create the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK legal history. Nick then narrows in on the subsequent cover-up, and the staggering legal battles fought and won by campaigning Subpostmasters, against all the odds. As the public inquiry into the scandal reveals yet more horrors, Nick will be able to explain the very latest developments and their significance.

Nick will be talking about his experiences and reading from his best-selling book, followed by a Q&A session, giving the audience an opportunity to explore areas in more detail. Nick will be joined on stage by special guest Wendy Buffrey to answer questions and provide first-hand testimony.

Wendy Buffrey, a former postmistress, was wrongly prosecuted for stealing £26,000 from the postal service.  Devastatingly, both her father and her son both passed away without seeing her criminal record being completely removed last year. Wendy considered taking her own life as the result of the original prosecution, and she pleaded guilty to charges against her to avoid prison.

From being literally spat at in the street to now bravely championing other (still convicted) sub-postmasters, come and hear Wendy’s shocking testimony first hand at this unbelievable event.