A former subpostmaster who lost a fortune because of the Horizon scandal fears complex bureaucracy could mean he is never fully compensated.

Dave Farry believes the now discredited computer accounting software cost him more than £1 million in lost earnings as well as valuable property and assets following the collapse of his business.

Mr Farry, from Ferryhill, worked for the Post Office for 14 years, but he said he has been advised he may only be able to claim for the two years he can provide documentary evidence for.

The 61-year-old said it feels as though "the goalposts have shifted" since former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s apology in January after the ITV drama about the scandal aired.

Mr Farry, one of the original 555 campaigners who joined Sir Alan Bates’ crusade for justice, said: “You think everything is going hunky dory and however, all of a sudden, they say ‘by the way the rules are different, and goalposts have changed, so we are going to make it harder for you to get some money’. 

“In my case it means I won’t be compensated for 12 of the years I worked for the Post Office.

“I feel now it is far more difficult for genuine people to make their claim.

“It is crazy.”   

From 2000, Mr Farry and his former wife ran five Post Offices with branches in Ferryhill, Kirk Merrington and Middlestone Moor, including a lucrative travel agency franchise.

He said problems arose within weeks of Fujitsu’s Horizon software being installed but when the Post Office found a shortfall of £13,000 he refused to sign the accounts and a court charge was put on his property.

Of the 900 innocent postmasters who faced criminal action for false accounting and theft, some were jailed while others took their own lives.

Across the country their reputations lay in tatters.

In 2019, after years of campaigning a court ruled against the Post Office and awarded a £43 million settlement plus legal costs, which also quashed the charge on Mr Farry’s house.

Dave Farry Dave Farry (Image: Northern Echo)

Mr Farry, who now works as a kitchen and bathroom designer for Homebase and sits on Ferryhill Town Council, said part of the problem was because some of the businesses were registered in the ex-wife’s name but were run together a partnership.

He said: “I bought two offices with my wife but when I went to the forensic accountant the only ones I could show them paperwork for when I was at Ferryhill Post Office.

“I have been told the Government is now doubling down on proof, which I have not got, and neither have lot of other people.

“A case worker has told me there are a lot of people in the same boat

“They have said they won’t accept some of the documentation so my claim is only going to be settled for two years when I was a postmaster

“It is scandalous really.”

Mr Farry said he has been advised he could get a payment of almost £300,000, but he reckons that is only a quarter of what he is entitled to, and does not take into account properties and other assets he lost.

The issue was under the national spotlight again on Wednesday when the drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, won multiple categories at the National Television Awards.

The four-part miniseries picked up the new drama prize and Toby Jones also secured the best drama performance gong for his portrayal of Sir Alan Bates.

Former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton called out the Government for the ‘lack of action’ on the scandal as she collected the award surrounded by fellow victims, saying: “I went to Westminster a couple of weeks back and saw the new minister and trust me, nothing has changed.

“Almost all of these people behind me haven’t been paid yet. And out of the group of 555, more than 300 haven’t been paid yet.”

Earlier this week the Government announced a new independent appeals process for postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. 

It means people who feel their financial settlement did not reflect the true extent of their losses and trauma will be able to apply for the new independent process, which will be overseen by the Department for Business and Trade. 

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme is run by Post Office Limited and funded by the Government who have ultimate oversight of the scheme.   

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Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas said: “Delivering justice and financial redress to postmasters is my number one priority. 

“We’ve listened to the independent advisory board and are working at speed to make sure postmasters receive financial redress as fairly and as quickly as possible. 

“This new appeals process will give postmasters the opportunity to have their settlements independently reviewed by my department.”

To date, 2,280 individuals have reached an agreement with the Post Office to settle their claim under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, with £144m in compensation paid out.