Real-life Mr Bates reveals why he turned down OBE for Post Office campaigning

The real-life Mr Bates has opened up on the reason he turned down an OBE for his tireless campaigning for two decades to get justice for subpostmasters in the Post Office Horizon scandal.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, 2 January, Alan Bates said: "It would have been a slap in the face to the rest of the group because Paula Venells, the CEO for many years of Post Office, received a CBE for her services to Post Office. Well, what service has she actually done?"

It comes as Mr Bates' fight for justice was depicted in a new ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office.