The new drama, 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office,' brings to life the distressing experiences of former subpostmasters and subpostmistresses, casting a spotlight on the ordeal suffered by people like Gail Ward, the former owner of the Priory Road Post Office in Wells.

Gail Ward was one of the "Post Office 39," a group of sub-postmasters and post-mistresses who were wrongfully convicted of offences such as theft, false accounting, and fraud. This injustice stemmed from flaws in a newly-installed computer system, which erroneously indicated financial discrepancies at Post Offices nationwide.

The ramifications of this scandal were profound: careers derailed, contracts terminated, and unjust criminal convictions handed down.

Mrs Ward's ordeal began with a 2007 audit at her Post Office, which reported a shortfall of over £12,000. She was informed that quietly returning the missing funds would absolve her from further action. Despite borrowing money from friends to cover the deficit, she was still summoned to court on charges of false accounting and theft.

Facing the legal system, Mrs Ward she was advised that pleading guilty to false accounting would result in the theft charge being dropped and reduce her chances of imprisonment. Consequently, she pleaded guilty to four counts of false accounting and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service at Cranmore station, where her tasks included cleaning trains.

Her conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2021. The convictions of the "Post Office 39" have been recognised as one of the most extensive miscarriages of justice in UK history.

The new drama not only recounts these harrowing personal stories but also highlights the broader implications of institutional failures and the human cost of technological errors.

Reflecting on the dramatisation of their story, Mrs. Ward told the BBC: "It's traumatic watching it back as everyone involved are friends - and we knew them.

"We lost our business, our home, my self respect and my standing in the community and you can't put a price on that.

"Not only did they take the present, they took our future - I'll never forgive them.

"I want Paula Vennells (the former chief executive of the Post Office) to hand back her CBE - no apology will ever be enough."

The scandal led to more than 700 prosecutions, criminal convictions, and in some instances, prison sentences for individuals across the UK. Many, like Mrs. Ward, were coerced into pleading guilty under the threat of jail time. The repercussions were devastating, with many losing their jobs, homes, and life savings.

In 2019, the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance, led by former subpostmaster Alan Bates and portrayed by Toby Jones in the drama, secured a victory in a High Court case against the Post Office. This case marked a turning point, bringing hope and vindication to those affected.

A Post Office spokesperson stated their commitment to "doing all we can to right the wrongs of the past." They added that both the Post Office and the government are dedicated to providing "full, fair, and final compensation" to those impacted by the scandal.

The story of Gail Ward and countless others serves as a stark reminder of the profound impacts that institutional failures can have on individuals and communities. As the drama brings these stories to the forefront, it sheds light on the personal struggles behind one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in recent UK history.

• The ITV four-part mini-series is based on the real-life story of postmaster Alan Bates and the legal battle he led and won, paving the way for dozens of convictions to be overturned.