THE STORY behind the scandal which reached public intrigue after a hit ITV drama is coming to Cornwall.

Nick Wallis, an investigative journalist who spent years establishing the truth behind the Horizon IT scandal which led to the prosecution of postmasters and sub-postmasters, will be retelling the story at Launceston Hall on Sunday, April 21, in an event titled ‘Post Office Scandal - the inside story’

Tickets are £16 plus booking fee for the event, which begins at 11am.

It has been described by Ian Hislop, the Have I Got News For You and editor of Private Eye as: “An extraordinary journalistic expose of a huge miscarriage of justice.”

Reverend Richard Coles, the presenter and author added: “A tale brilliantly told by Nick Wallis, who has dedicated years of work to establishing what happened, why it happened and calling those responsible to account.”

The description for the event reads: “This is the true story of how hundreds of innocent people fought to clear their names after being pursued by the Post Office through the criminal courts. Proud pillars of their communities were stripped of their jobs and livelihoods. Many were forced into bankruptcy or borrowed from friends and family to give the Post Office thousands they did not owe. The really unlucky ones were sent to prison.

“Having recently been adapted into the primetime ITV drama starring Toby Jones, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, this jaw-dropping, unique and gripping story is now the subject of a compelling stage show.

“Journalist/broadcaster Nick Wallis (BBC Radio 4’s The Great Post Office Trial, Private Eye’s Justice Lost in the Post, BBC1’s Panorama Scandal at the Post Office, The One Show and Channel 5’s Criminals Caught on Camera) has drawn on his decade of covering the story to write a best-selling book (The Great Post Office Scandal – serialised by the Daily Mail and featured by the Sunday Times), and it is this book which forms the basis of his new show.

“Nick (also a consultant on the ITV Drama) expertly chronicles the twists and turns of the scandal, taking in the shambolic commissioning of the disastrous Post Office Horizon IT system and examining the punitive methods employed by the Post Office – bypassing the police and the Crown Prosecution Service – to create the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK legal history. Nick then narrows in on the subsequent cover-up, and the staggering legal battles fought and won by campaigning Subpostmasters, against all the odds. As the public inquiry into the scandal reveals yet more horrors, Nick will be able to explain the very latest developments and their significance.

“Nick will be talking about his experiences and reading from his best-selling book, followed by a Q&A session, giving the audience an opportunity to explore areas in more detail.”