While Alan Bates said he “never” received a reason for the Post Office to terminate his contract, he did receive a 2003 letter from the company to an MP claiming that “Loss of confidence in his willingness to carry out this work in this way”. expected”.

Investigations revealed the claim was made in a letter to MP Betty Williams, who had written to the Post Office to relay concerns from her constituents about the temporary closure of the branch run by Mr Bates.

Asked if this had been explained to him, Mr Bates told the inquest: “No.”

Alan Bates said he believed the Post Office wanted to teach his case “a lesson” when it terminated his contract in 2003.

“I think they will use my case as a lesson – because a lot of other people know what happened and I think the Post Office likes to try and give them a lesson on how to be responsible,” he told the inquest.

Alan Bates said the Post Office “never” gave him any explanation for his sacking.

The inquiry’s lead lawyer was asked how he felt when he received a letter from the Post Office in August 2003 telling him they would terminate his contract in November. He said: “I was annoyed with them, to put it mildly. , but I think that’s partially expected in a way.

“Because it was clear that they were after me in some way, and the letters that were accumulating during this period certainly pointed in that direction.

“But I always found it interesting that I made the point to them of trying to terminate me and my contract under clause 12 of the contract… but they didn’t do that. They decided to do what they wanted in three months Any reason” notice without giving any reason”.

The inquiry’s lead solicitor clarified: “So this was a ‘no-fault, no-reason’ termination with just three months’ written notice”, adding: “You have written off £1,100 and the Post Office accepted that this was due to concerns about There was a real dispute as to whether Horizon was responsible for that, and since then you’ve rolled other surpluses based on the Post Office’s knowledge – and then this happened.”

Mr Bates replied: “It’s a bit strange in a way because we are a very busy post office and in fact a lot of post offices are losing trade at the time but our sales figures in the area are very high and we are there A lot of new business was developed. But it was their decision [fire me] So be it. “

He added: “I did propose at one point… that we are moving in that direction… if you are not happy with the way I deliver the service, then refund our initial investment and take the post office away.” I would be very happy. Glad they did so I probably wouldn’t be here today. “

Alan Bates received letters between himself and the Post Office in which he was suddenly ordered to pay for an unexplained shortfall, but he refused.

Citing his contract, Mr. Bates told the Post Office he was not obligated to pay money he was not sure he actually owed the company, documents show.

A few months later, he received a response informing him that his contract would be terminated.

Alan Bates told the Post Office IT Inquiry that he raised concerns about Horizon IT’s systems in a letter to the Post Office in December 2000 but never received a reply.

In another letter to the Post Office, dated January 7, 2002, seen by the inquest, Mr Bates wrote: “When I signed the contract with the Post Office counter, I did not sign to accept the payment due to insufficient horizon. liability arising from defects in the system.”

Alan Bates received an internal Post Office document (which was not disclosed to him at the time) that showed a number of options available in response to his request to write off the balance.

The document contains three options – either grant full receipt to the deputy postmaster and make them pay the amount or grant partial receipt.

“Were you aware at the time that the Post Office appeared to be using a standard form with a ‘delete as appropriate’ box on it?” the inquiry’s lead solicitor asked Mr Bates.

“No, I didn’t, but now that you mention it, I do remember a conversation the retail network manager at the time had with this department in my office, so I only heard one side of the conversation, which was about arranging this thing.” Reversal Voucher ,” Mr. Bates said.

“I seem to remember that it was trapped in [my] Memory, he said, ‘Oh, that’s another loss on the horizon’. It’s just one of those little things said at the time that sticks in your mind. “

Alan Bates received letters he sent to the Post Office about accounting deficiencies and Horizon system failures while he was deputy postmaster, calling on his employer for help and detailing problems with the IT system.

The second letter, sent in January 2002, said he had “no doubt” that the incorrect amount of £1,041.86 was “due to an error in the Horizon system”.

Alan Bates said the partnership between the deputy postmaster general and the Post Office was “very one-sided”.

He told the inquest: “I was led to believe that the Deputy Postmaster General was working with the Post Office and if the Post Office wanted me to meet the standards they required, I would expect them to do the same for me.

“However, as time went on we quickly discovered that this ‘partnership’ was very one-sided, it was really a ‘you will do what you are told and if you don’t like it you can’t complain’ ‘s problem.” There’s no remedy for that, you just have to move on and keep your mouth shut – that’s how it works. “

In a witness statement to the inquiry, Alan Bates said that throughout his 23-year campaign the Post Office had “denied, lied, defended me and attempted to discredit and silence me”.

He said: “Before and after my dismissal from the division, I spent 23 years dedicated to uncovering the truth and justice, not only for myself but for the entire group of deputy postmasters who were wrongly treated/wrongfully convicted.

“I have dedicated this period of my life to this cause, which sadly was necessary because the Post Office Limited spent this entire period denying, lying, defending and trying to discredit and silence me and the judiciary SPM groups supported. Deputy Postmasters Alliance (JFSA) representatives.”

Former deputy postmaster Alan Bates said he experienced the first huge unexplained discrepancy of more than £6,000 “just weeks” after the Horizon system first came online.