A former sub-postmaster in north Essex who was wrongfully convicted during the Horizon IT scandal has said he is 'over the moon' with a new documentary about the affair.

Ian Warren, who ran the Post Office in Castle Hedingham, believed the series Mr Bates vs The Post Office would help to raise the profile of the 736 sub-postmasters and mistresses subjected to legal action caused by the defective Fujitsu computer programme Horizon they were using.

The four-part ITV drama which premieres on New Year's Day, features a cast of well-known actors, including Detectorists star Toby Jones in the lead role as Alan Bates and former Coronation Street actors Will Mellor and Katherine Kelly.

READ MORE: Sub-postmaster 'hopeful' of receiving further compensation

A public inquiry, chaired by Sir Wyn Williams, is currently ongoing into the scandal and has discussed delays in compensation payments to some of the sub-postmasters.

East Anglian Daily Times: Toby Jones stars in the series which begins on ITV on New Year's Day.Toby Jones stars in the series which begins on ITV on New Year's Day. (Image: ITV)

Lawyers representing the sub-postmasters have told the inquiry that enough evidence has come forward to bring prosecutions of senior Post Office staff, who they claimed had covered up bugs in the computer software.

Mr Warren said: "As far as we are concerned - and we have had several colleagues who have had a screening of it - and they are totally over the moon about how good it is and it is going to serve a huge purpose in bringing it to the attention of millions of people."

Now residing in Norfolk, he added that while he had received some compensation, the sum was by no means what he would consider to be 'full and final' compensation.

READ MORE: Sub post-master's disgust at Horizon pay out delay

He was forced to plead guilty to stealing approximately £18,000 and was given a six month suspended sentence by Chelmsford Crown Court in 2009, which meant he was unable to work and forced to give up his membership of the Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

The stigma of the sentence meant he was forced to move away from the Essex village where he had worked and he believed the stress had affected the health of both himself and his partner Valerie Wilson.

READ MORE: Subpostmaster turned to drink to cope after Post Office Horizon scandal

The Horizon programme was found to have 'bugs, errors and defects' which led to the Post Office staff being wrongly convicted of a range of offences, including theft, fraud and false accounting. 

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