Post Office hero Alan Bates and the North Wales people recognised in King's Birthday Honours

Former subpostmaster Alan Bates has insisted he is not a hero after receiving a knighthood – which he learned of while watching ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells at the Horizon IT inquiry. The lead campaigner, from Llandudno, who is the title character of the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, said he hoped the honour would be “another string to my bow to help me go forward and get some finality for people”.

Sir Alan previously turned down being made an OBE while Ms Vennells held on to her CBE award because it “felt wrong” – but calls for him to be knighted after the former chief executive returned her honour were backed by Number 10 earlier this year.

He was one of more than 550 claimants who brought legal action against the Post Office, known as the group litigation, over the Horizon IT system between 2017 and 2019, reports PA. Trial judge Mr Justice Fraser concluded that Horizon contained a number of “bugs, errors and defects” and that there was a “material risk” that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by the system.

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More than 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as Fujitsu’s faulty system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.

Reacting to the knighthood, Sir Alan told the PA news agency: “It was a bit of a surprise, it sort of came out of the blue. I’m quite honoured by it – to be recognised for the work that I’ve done over the years. It’s been a hard slog over many years.”

Sir Alan was one of more than 50 people from Wales to have received honours in HM The King’s Birthday Honours List 2024, published today by the Cabinet Office.

The focus of this List is those who have initiated substantial change where it was needed, and developed innovative solutions that have had an immeasurable impact on the lives of thousands of people across the country.

Many are active community champions, innovative social entrepreneurs, pioneering scientists, passionate health workers and dedicated volunteers who have gone the extra mile.

Recipients from Wales made up 5.1% of the total number of recipients receiving honours this year.

People who were honoured in North and Mid Wales included:

Order of the British Empire

Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

• Ffion Llywelyn Hague - For Public Service and to Business (Welshpool, Powys)

Knighthoods

• Alan Bates Founder, Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance. For services to Justice - (Colwyn Bay, Conwy)

Officers of the Order of the British Empire

• Paul Malcolm McKinlay FREng Senior Vice President and Director, Airbus UK. For services to Welsh Industry - (Deeside, Flintshire)

Members of the Order of the British Empire:

• Dr Hannah Mary Dee Founder and Chair, Lovelace Colloquium. For services to Technology and to Women in the Information Technology Sector - (Aberystwyth, Dyfed)

• Rakesh Kumar Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital. For services to the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities (Bangor, Gwynedd)

• Andrew Logan Sculptor, Jeweller and Performance Artist. For services to the Arts - (Welshpool, Powys)

• Ian Martin For services to Sport and to Charity - (Mold, Flintshire)

• Sally McInnes Head, Unique Content and Collections Care, National Library of Wales. For services to Documentary History - (Aberystwyth, Dyfed)

• Michael Richard Palmer Fundraiser, 3 Dads Walking for Papyrus UK. For services to the Prevention of Young Suicide - (Anglesey)

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire:

• Carys Eluned Davies Senior Midwife, Hywel Dda University Health Board. For services to Midwifery - (Aberystwyth, Dyfed)

• Shirley Rowena Snowden For services to Dance and to the Arts -

• (Deeside, Clwyd)

• Heather Yvonne Wenban Lead Nurse for Dementia, Powys Teaching Health Board. For services to People with Dementia in Powys and Wales - (Newtown, Powys)

• Dr Anna Charlotte Louise Williams Consultant Anaesthetist, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. For services to Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare at Wrexham Maelor Hospital - (Wrexham)

King's Police Medals

Richard Debicki. Lately Deputy Chief Constable, North Wales Police

King's Fire Service Medal

Roger Simon Thomas. Chief Fire Officer, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

King's Ambulance Medal

Michael Andrew Farthing Jenkins. Regional Clinical Lead-Consultant Paramedic, Welsh Ambulance Service

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