A HEROIC campaigner who took on the Post Office over the Horizon scandal and won was offered a free holiday to Necker Island by Sir Richard Branson.
Alan Bates, 68, and his wife Suzanne appeared close to tears as they were told the Virgin boss had offered them “a well earned” Caribbean trip.
The former subpostmaster, who led the legal challenge against his former employer, gave an interview at the weekend where he discussed his underdog battle.
Alan, of Colwyn Bay, Wales, discussed his landmark legal fight, before adding: “If Richard Branson is reading this, I’d love a holiday.”
And billionaire Branson, 73, replied with a note, which set out a tantalising offer to visit his private island for some winter sun.
It read: “Dear Alan, I did get a chance to read your moving interview in The Times and we’d love to offer you and Suzanne a well earned holiday on Necker Island.
“I can’t think of anyone that deserves a break more. Hopefully see you there. Best, Richard.”
The pair were further offered first class flights for their trip and a seven-night Mediterranean cruise by Virgin Atlantic.
Reacting to the offer on ITV’s This Morning, Alan said: “Thank you very much Richard, much appreciated and much needed.”
Suzanne, 68, Alan’s partner of 33 years, added: “Amazing.”
It comes after the High Court ruled in Alan’s favour in 2019 and found Horizon was “not robust”.
At the time the heroic campaigner said: “The Post Office has failed full disclosure to the courts, it has failed disclosure with the inquiry, and worst of all it’s now failed the victims who continue to suffer and are desperately waiting to get on with their lives.
“Who is to blame for letting this go on without end?
“It has to be the fault of Government, the sole shareholder of Post Office.
“So, instead of handing out huge bonuses at Post Office, try handing out P45s, I bet that works.”
The scandal dates back to 1999, when the Post Office first brought in an accounting system called Horizon.
Between its launch and 2015, more than 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted based on information provided by Horizon, which was later found to have “bugs, errors and defects”.
After decades of tireless work by Alan and five colleagues, the Post Office was ordered to pay out more than £58million.
It was split between a group of 555 individuals, but after expensive legal fees this sum only equated to around £20,000 compensation per person.
Alan said previously: “You will never be able to repay people for what they’ve gone through and you will never be able to give them back all those years of suffering that they’ve had to endure.
“But hopefully it might alleviate some of their problems going forward.
“Another issue, and my current source of campaigning, is around the mental anguish of the families.
“At the moment the government hasn’t taken that on board. These families need professional mental health assessments and support, not just financially but in other ways as well.”
Many victims had been locked up behind bars and some have since spoken out about the immense psychological trauma.
Sadly, four were so deeply affected they took their own lives.
In January 2023 Alan was awarded an OBE for services to justice, but rejected it saying it was “inappropriate” to accept the honour while victims still suffer.
He also outlined one of those at fault in the scandal who he exposed — Paula Vennels — still holds her CBE, which she was handed in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list.
A petition calling for the former Post Office boss to be stripped of her award has garnered more than one million signatures.
Alan’s battle has since been dramatised in the ITV show Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
Speaking about the ITV drama Alan said: “Over the years a lot of words have been written about how lives have been wrecked by an out of control government organisation, however they have never come close to expressing the true horrors that have been inflicted on people.
“I think this drama is the first time anything has come close to getting across the suffering many of the victims have had to cope with.”
