Choir brings us joy after Post Office hell

Scandal victims aim to win BGT and sing for King Charles

- BY JANINE YAQOOB

VICTIMS of the Post Office scandal say singing on Britain's Got Talent is bringing them joy after their terrible ordeals.

They told how they want to win the contest and perform at the Royal Variety Show in front of the King.

The idea behind Hear Our Voice is to help get justice for those ruined by the Horizon IT fiasco.

And the 40-strong choir vowed a knockout performance in tonight's live semi-final.

It was set up a year ago by Mark Wildblood who said: "The choir is therapy for us."

Mark, 62, who ran Upton Post Office on the Wirral, Merseyside, added: "The scandal caused a separation of my marriage and lots of mental and physical health issues but this project has started building my confidence.

"If it wasn't for BGT, we wouldn't have had the euphoric positivity that we get from the choir."

The choir is also a lifeline for Maria Lockwood, a sub-postmistress in Huddersfield, West Yorks, for eight years until 2010.

AMAZING

The mum of three was wrongly convicted of false accounting and forced to pay the Post Office more than £30,000. Maria said: "It's given us happiness through everything.