A FORMER sub-postmaster has launched legal action against the Post Office and Fujitsu over the Horizon IT scandal.

Lee Castleton is the first individual to sue the two organisations following the controversy.

“I want justice and to be publicly vindicated,” Mr Castleton told the BBC, as he seeks to have a civil action taken against him by the Post Office overturned or set aside.

“I’d like to effectively have my day in court as well,” he said.

In 2007, Mr Castleton was sued by the Post Office for £25,000 it claimed was missing from his Bridlington, East Yorkshire branch.

After a two-year battle, he was declared bankrupt following legal costs of £321,000.

He said he had little faith in the Post Office’s compensation schemes and has instructed his solicitors to launch High Court proceedings.

His lawyer, Simon Goldberg of Simons Muirhead Burton, said: “Lee faced a David versus Goliath battle against the Post Office and we are fully ready to take this all the way to the High Court should we need to.

“It was never about recovery of the sum of money – it was to make an example of Mr Castleton.”