Post Office IT scandal campaigner to reveal restoration on Car SOS to victim

Sir Alan Bates will help reveal a bike restoration to a former subpostmaster and victim of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal in an episode of Car SOS.

Sir Alan is known for leading the campaign for victims who were wrongly prosecuted and convicted in the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of Horizon, with a significant number contemplating self-harm.

The campaigner will appear on the National Geographic series, fronted by Tim Shaw and Fuzz Townshend, in an episode that follows fellow former subpostmaster Ian Davies whose life was devastated by the scandal.

Davies, 63, from Swansea, was wrongly accused of theft due to faults in the Post Office’s computer system, costing him his job, reputation and financial stability.

His cousin Stephan nominated him after a stroke left Davies without the strength or mobility to restore his beloved motorbike himself.

Sir Alan will appear on Car SOS for its first ever motorbike restoration and help reveal Davies’ fixed 1973 Triumph Bonneville.

Shaw said: “Sir Alan has had countless requests since the scandal came to light, but he has made a very deliberate decision to step back from that world.

“That has never been what drives him. But when he heard Ian’s story, it clearly struck something much deeper – this was something he felt he had to be part of.”

“This was not about publicity or making a statement – it was simply one person recognising another person’s experience and wanting to stand beside them. That is what makes it so powerful.”

Although Davies’ name was cleared, both his parents, who helped bail him out, and his wife passed away before they could see justice done.

Shaw continued: “What happened with Horizon is one of the most shocking miscarriages of justice in modern British history. The scale of it – and the impact on ordinary people’s lives – is hard to put into words.

“When you hear what Ian has been through: losing everything; being wrongly accused; and then not having his family there to see his name cleared; it really brings home the human cost of what happened.

“We knew straight away this was not just about restoring a machine – it was about restoring something that had been taken away from him for years. That is what made it matter so much to all of us.”

The episode will air on March 26 on National Geographic.

Sir Alan was portrayed by actor Toby Jones in the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which highlighted and dramatically accelerated the long-running battle for justice.

In June 2024, he was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for his services to justice, having founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance.

Late last year, the campaigner had his Horizon compensation claim settled for a reported seven-figure sum.