I am not a fan of ITV; the inane adverts turn my brain to pulp.

But the Channel’s decision to devote several prime-time hours to Mr Bates and the Post Office was brave and a valuable public service. The drama provoked anger at the corruption in high places and the complete disregard by government and management for justice and the interests of Post Office front-line staff.

There were signs aplenty that something was going seriously wrong in the Post office, but most of the media ignored them. Honourable exceptions were Private Eye and some BBC journalists.

The ITV drama was heart-warming in its depiction of little people battling the mighty and winning. The tension of the story and the courage of the characters made this gripping television. Since the broadcast, we have all been amused by the sight of politicians and Post Office executives scuttling around, trying to shuffle off responsibility or pass the buck.

Thanks to the demonstrative anger of the public, the victims of Fujitsu and the Post Office will   be exonerated and compensated.  We have to make sure that this happens and soon.

The government has proved bureaucratic, negligent and glacially slow in such matters.

And there is more to be done. Paula Vennells illustrates the reluctance of the top brass to accept responsibility and do the right thing.  Eventually she overcame her rhinoceros-thick skin and has chosen to forfeit her CBE (leaving the question of why, in light of what was known of the post Office’s problems at the time, was she given this award. But will this ordained priest give back the bonuses she was awarded on top of a very generous salary?

Similarly, will other staff return the bonuses they received during this saga?

Senior staff happily played the game of using the Post Office’s contorted form of justice: you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent and you will be allowed no access to documentation or other evidence that might assist your case.

If they have no consciences, will the return of the money be demanded?

Since Thatcher de-regulated the City of London, fat cats have determined their own exorbitant salaries and have awarded themselves unlimited bonuses.  Keir Starmer has declared there will be no limit imposed on City bonuses, limp lettuce leaf that he is.)  Bonuses, share hand-outs and pension top-ups are de rigeur for the wealthy, while the majority get no pay rises in case it worsens inflation. Greed abounds at the top and the gap between rich and poor in Britain is greater than in any other comparable country.

Meanwhile, Fujitsu, whose computerisation was faulty and whose staff persistently told lies on behalf of the company, is still being contracted by the government for £billions.  Will this be stopped and will the government list the company as untrustworthy and beyond the pale.

There are others who should feel shame and guilt.

Example. A postmistress in Newcastle on Tyne was sacked and imprisoned for allegedly stealing £40,000. Local people threw eggs and other missiles at her front door and at her children on their way to school.  She was forced to move elsewhere. This lady is of south Asian origin and so racism was probably a factor. What did these bone-heads want? The woman has already lost her livelihood and has been imprisoned. What more do they want? Perhaps a public hanging?

Now that the woman has been declared completely innocent, how do the lunatics feel? Remorseful? I doubt it. Will they seek her out and offer abject apologies?

I doubt it. Their interests have probably moved on. They are now preoccupied with walking and showing off their monstrously ugly XL bully dogs.

For readers of the Daily Mail, who consider this country to be squeaky clean paradise, this episode should be salutary. It is not the only example, in recent times, of corporate corruption, government callousness, the scope for gross injustice of our legal system and people’s barely believable ignorance and stupidity.