The oldest known survivor of the devastating Post Office Horizon IT scandal has been recognised in the New Year Honours list, using the occasion to demand that the human cost of the affair is never erased from public memory.
A Lifetime's Work Destroyed
Betty Brown, aged 92 and now the oldest person honoured in this year's list, has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her relentless pursuit of justice for wrongly prosecuted subpostmasters.
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Brown described the honour as "absolutely wonderful" but was swift to frame it as a symbol for all those whose lives were torn apart. She emphasised the profound consequences of the scandal, which has been linked to 13 deaths, and included wrongful imprisonments and suicides.
"That should never be forgotten," she stated, criticising ministers who "stood back knowing what was happening, knowing they were at fault and doing nothing about it." She spoke of "broken marriages" and "children left neglected" as victims' "whole lives [were] ruined over the last 20 years."
The Personal Toll of a National Scandal
Ms Brown, from County Durham, ran the Annfield Plain Post Office near Stanley with her late husband Oswall from 1985 to 2003. She estimates they lost around £100,000 of their own money trying to cover shortfalls that existed only in the faulty Horizon computer system.
She recounted one of her most painful memories, when auditors arrived on a day her husband had a cancer appointment. Despite receiving a positive medical result, their relief was shattered when told they were £3,000 short after trading for only three hours that day, despite having balanced the books the night before.
Ms Brown was one of the original claimants in the landmark group litigation against the Post Office, led by campaigner Sir Alan Bates. Between 1999 and 2015, approximately 1,000 people across the UK were wrongly prosecuted due to errors generated by the Horizon software.
Honour Brings a Measure of Peace
For Ms Brown, the OBE represents a turning point after decades of anguish. "I've had the most wonderful Christmas in 20, 25 years," she revealed. "Wow. I sat there and enjoyed what Christmas was all about."
She explained that for the first time in years, she "had money to buy what you wanted for Christmas" and was "coming to terms with not having the anger, and the hurt inside."
In response to the ongoing public inquiry, Fujitsu, the company behind the Horizon software, has apologised. A spokesperson told Sky News the firm "apologises and regrets its role in the subpostmasters' suffering" and is "committed to providing full cooperation."
The New Year Honours list also celebrated youth achievement, with 20-year-old Olympic climbing gold medallist Toby Roberts receiving an MBE. Roberts, who was 19 when he won gold in Paris in 2024, said he was in "complete shock" at the recognition.
