Post Office campaigner Alan Bates gets married on Caribbean private island | UK | News


Post Office campaigner Sir Alan Bates has married his long-time partner, Suzanne Sercombe, on Sir Richard Branson’s private Necker Island in the Caribbean.

The 70-year-old and Sercombe, 69, who had been together for 34 years but never married, tied the knot last month on the British Virgin Islands, The Sunday Times reports.

Sir Alan gained public attention after an ITV drama spotlighted his leadership in the campaign for sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft.

The wedding was a surprise for Lady Bates, who wore a sundress she had packed for the holiday, according to reports.

Mr Bates told the publication: “It just seemed a good idea being on Necker and it being a wonderful place.”

Sir Richard invited the couple to the island after Sir Alan said in a January interview with the Times: “If Richard Branson is reading this, I’d love a holiday.”

The Virgin Group founder, who officiated the wedding and gave a speech, told the Sunday Times: “It was an absolute joy to play a small part in Alan and Suzanne’s love story, and I know they will continue to spread the beautiful light they share with everyone around them.”

Necker Island, one of the world’s most exclusive holiday spots, has hosted notable guests such as Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, the Obamas, and Harry Styles.

Sir Alan and Suzanne had invested their life savings into their post office business, but he was dismissed in 2003 when a faulty computer system falsely indicated financial discrepancies.

This year, Sir Alan was knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours for his over 20-year fight for justice. In July, he also received an honorary law doctorate from Bangor University.

Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted by the Post Office due to errors in Fujitsu’s Horizon IT system that showed false financial shortfalls.

The Post Office Inquiry is set to resume on September 23.

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