ITV has commissioned a follow-up documentary to Mr Bates vs The Post Office, from the production company that made the drama.

Little Gem is producing Mr Bates vs The Post Office: The Impact [WT], that will explore how the ITV scripted series affected the lives of the subpostmasters it featured, and address the ongoing struggle for financial redress and justice, as well as providing an insight into new developments in the scandal.

The documentary will feature Jo Hamilton, Jess Uppal, Noel Thomas and leading figure, Alan Bates as well as subpostmasters who have come forward in the aftermath of the drama series.

Some say that without the public’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to the drama, they would not have had the courage to talk openly about their involvement in the scandal and how it affected them.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office: The Impact [WT] will also focus on moments from the Judge-led Inquiry: testimony from Paula Vennells, Angela van den Bogerd and Post Office investigators, who were described by subpostmasters as behaving like “mafia gangsters”.

The producer/director is Clare Richards and the executive producers are Natasha Bondy and Ben Gale.

ITV Controller of Factual, Jo Clinton-Davis, who commissioned the follow-up doc, said: “The Post Office scandal became a genuine national talking point at the start of this year, striking at the heart of the public’s sense of justice.

“The reverberations have been felt ever since at a political level, but particularly in the lives of those directly affected.

“This film promises to tell the story of what has happened since in their lives, how their fight continues as well as illuminating new layers of this scandal.”