How choir helps Post Office scandal victims

A singer in a choir made up of victims of the Post Office scandal and their families has described it as the "most joyful" experience which has seen their confidence grow since having their wrongful convictions quashed.

Tim Brentnall, from Roch, Pembrokeshire, was among hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses prosecuted after its Horizon computer system incorrectly recorded financial shortfalls.

He said they previously had met only at "horrible events like public inquiries or court dates" in the years it took to clear their names, so some decided to start the choir, Hear Our Voice.

Their charity single will help colleagues and their children with many still seeking compensation.

A Post Office spokesperson said it "apologised unreservedly" to the victims of the Horizon IT scandal and was focused on paying redress as quickly as possible.

Mr Brentnall said: "It's been absolutely fantastic to get to know this group of people even better and do something so positive together.

"It's given people something to focus on, and you can certainly see in the group, people have really grown in confidence, not just happiness," he told BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast.

"It was, it still is, the most joyful thing that I've ever done."

The choir reached the finals of ITV show Britain's Got Talent last weekend which Mr Brentnall described as a "fantastic" and "crazy" experience which was "terrifying for everybody".

"Everybody stood up and applauded us which was amazing," he added.

Mr Brentnall explained the Horizon scandal had not yet been resolved with him and other former postmasters and mistresses trying to settle compensation claims.

"My claim, and everybody's claim, is not plucked out of thin air - it's put together by forensic accountants and people much cleverer than I am.

"You submit it and the Post Office and their legal team go through it and come back with a cost minimised claim.

"Then you have to rewrite it, resubmit, and it's a fight to get to somewhere that's acceptable where, if there was a will, they could just pay everybody's claims tomorrow."