Local actor Will Mellor has spoken out about British businesswoman Paula Vennells following calls to have her stripped of her CBE following the recent dramatisation of the infamous Post Office scandal.
Mellor stars as one of the victims in the recent Mr Bates vs Post Office drama by ITV, which follows the landmark legal case which ran from 1999 to 2015, and was more than happy to share his feelings on the true story.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, the Two Pints star said, “I don’t know how she slept at night”, adding that he couldn’t understand how the former Post Office CEO and those involved could continue to deceive so many “knowing they were ruining other people’s lives who had done nothing wrong”.
The 47-year-old Greater Manchester performer plays Lee Castleton, a subpostmaster and victim of the scandal from Bridlington in Yorkshire who was taken to court by the Post Office.
"I don't know how they slept at night."@Mellor76, who played Lee Castleton in 'Alan Bates v The Post Office' told @anna_jameson_ he supports the petition for former CEO Paula Vennells to be stripped of her CBE title.
Will Mellor made his feelings clear on Paula Vennells, the Post Office scandal and its attempted cover-up.
Being asked by interviewer Anna Jameson whether he supports the petition to have Vennells stripped of her CBE — which has already been signed by over 1.2 million Brits — Mellor quickly replied, “100%”.
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The Stockport local went on to say, “All I know is what I know and I don’t want to speculate because there’s government involved in all this but, from what we know, she’s going to church, she’s a priest preaching about being a good person — I don’t know how she slept at night”.
For those yet to have watched the four-part series or unfamiliar with the scandal, in general, hundreds of postal workers were wrongly prosecuted or convicted between 1999 and 2015 for alleged false accounting, theft and fraud due to a glitchy software system, Horizon.
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Mellor also told the Radio Times of his emotional meeting with the real-life Castleton, who he said “was a bit hesitant coming forward” as it was obviously “a bit hard for him to go back and revisit it.”
The show stars Mellor, Toby Jones as lead campaigner Alan Bates, Monica Dolan, Julie Hesmondhalgh and more. (Credit: ITV)
He went on to detail their first meeting, revealing: “We hugged it out and we both got really emotional. I know, because I played him, what he’s been through, and he knows I know what he went through, and I emotionally went through a bit of it myself doing it for him. So we both had a moment and it was amazing, it really was.
“I just said, ‘I hope I’ve done you proud mate’, and he said he was over the moon when he heard I was playing him. He’s messaged me since saying he’s watched it and he was overwhelmed with how much he enjoyed it, and he thanked me for what I did.”
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Mellor is by no means the only one who has slammed the state-owned private company, with more and more people having now signed the petition to stip Vennells of her title, having been royally appointed as a Commander of the British Empire back in 2019.
Following the huge backlash from the general public, the 65-year-old has now confirmed she will hand back her CBE with immediate effect.
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells says she will hand back her CBE with immediate effect amid the fallout of the Post Office Horizon scandal
Featured Image — BBC Radio Manchester/Post Office/The Two Pints Podcast (via IG)
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Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
As mentioned, all job adverts will go live next Monday (27 April) so hopefuls can get their applications submitted here.
This’ll then be followed by invite-only open days for shortlisted candidates in mid May.
Featured Image – Supplied
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UK passes bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking in ‘historic’ moment
Emily Sergeant
In what is described as being a ‘historic moment’, the UK has now passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco products.
It’s been a long time coming, but the final draft of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday (21 April 2026), and is now on its way to receiving royal assent to officially become the law.
For those unfamiliar, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop people who were born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever taking up smoking.
It will also give Government ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products – including their flavours and packaging, which make them more appealing to younger generations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hailed the bill’s passing as a ‘historic moment for the nation’s health’ on the road to creating a smoke-free generation.
The UK has passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels)
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Mr Streeting said after the bill was passed this week.
“Prevention is better than cure. This reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
The ban on purchasing tobacco products for those born after 2008 was first mooted by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government a number of years back, but was eventually shelved ahead of the 2024 General Election, and then revived again by Labour when they took power.
The bill’s passing parliament has been welcomed by charities and campaign groups – most notably Cancer Research UK.
“This is a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction and help to put an end to cancers caused by smoking,” concluded Michelle Mitchell, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research.
Danny Jones -
9th January 2024 
