'It puts the Horizon scandal back in the spotlight': Former postmaster applauds fantastic BGT choir

Christopher Head, who ran the West Boldon Post Office from 2006 to 2015, applauded the 39 victims of the Post Office scandal who teamed up to form the Hear Our Voice choir.

They moved the audience to tears

They appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and moved viewers to tears with a rendition of a special song.

The choir won the backing of every judge on the panel and Simon Cowell said their treatment during the Horizon scandal had been disgusting.

Mr Head was himself among hundreds of sub-postmasters accused of fraud and theft because of the Post Office’s defective accounting system.

OBE winner has helped 400 people

He became the youngest sub postmaster, at the age of 18, when he took over the branch, was then pursued by the Post Office through the civil courts.

He won an OBE last year and is still campaigning.

He has helped more than 400 people in their fight to get compensation and accountability over the Post Office Horizon row.

Mr Head was himself falsely accused of stealing more than £80,000 from his branch in West Boldon, in 2006, before the criminal case against him was dropped.

They are doing something which is way out of their comfort zone

He said: “The choir was mainly put together as a treatment and for people to come together to share a little bit of joy.”

He said the media spotlight, which had been firmly on the scandal after the screening of the Mr Bates vs The Post Office drama series, would once again return to the issue.

‘It puts the issue back in the public spotlight again’

‘The members of the choir find it therapeutic in doing something which is way out of their comfort zone. It has probably helped them with their battles and it puts the issue back in the public spotlight again.

“The further they get in Britain’s Got Talent, the more it will be shown.”

Mr Head made headlines himself when he launched an online petition calling for compensation and accountability. By January of 2024, it had received more than 400,000 signatures.

It has now got more than 587,000 signatures.