Alan Bates said the Post Office “came after me in some way” as he admitted he was “annoyed” when his employment contract was terminated.

The activist and former deputy postmaster general also told Horizon IT Investigations on Tuesday, April 9, that the company had spent 23 years “trying to discredit me and silence me.”

Asked how he felt after receiving the letter of termination without cause, Mr Bates laughed and replied: “I was annoyed with them, to put it mildly, but I think it was quite obvious to a certain extent that they Determined to do so – they are following me in a certain way.”

He added that he felt the Post Office was “teaching a lesson” on his case.