Both Sir Alan and Noel Thomas, whose work to get justice for former sub-postmasters was featured in ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, will be honoured by Bangor University next week.
By Tomos Evans, Wales reporter @TomosGruffydd
Sir Alan Bates and Noel Thomas will receive honorary degrees next week, it has been announced.
The former sub-postmasters will be honoured by Bangor University at its annual graduation ceremonies.
Sir Alan, who lives in Llandudno, has spent two decades campaigning to get justice for sub-postmasters wrongfully convicted due to failures in the Post Office’s Horizon IT system.
Noel Thomas, a former sub-postmaster from Gaerwen, Anglesey, will also be honoured.
He was wrongfully convicted and jailed. He successfully appealed his conviction.
They both featured in ITV’s dramatisation of the scandal, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office.
Sir Alan was recently made a Knight Bachelor in the King’s birthday honours list.
He told Sky News he did “weigh up” whether to accept the honour as there was still “work to do” to secure financial redress for victims.
He was even asked to open music festival Glastonbury, but declined the invite.
An inquiry into the Post Office scandal is ongoing.
An engineer who used to work for Fujitsu, the company behind Horizon, last week denied “protecting the monster”.
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In total, there will be 10 honorary degrees handed out by Bangor University to individuals for their contribution to public life.
This year’s ceremonies will take place from 8 to 12 July at the university’s historic Prichard-Jones Hall.
It will be a memorable occasion for the university as it celebrates its 140th anniversary.
Other recipients of honorary degrees at the university this year include Manon Steffan Ros, Linda Gittins, Joan Edwards, Mark Williams, Dr Susan Chomba, Professor E Wynne Jones, Professor John Philip Sumpter and Carl Foulkes.
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