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Sub-postmasters: Anglesey council to honour 'faithful service'

In 2006, Noel Thomas was wrongly jailed for nine months for false accounting

A wrongfully jailed sub-postmaster who was forced to step down as a local councillor is to be recognised for his "faithful service" to the council.

Noel Thomas was jailed for nine months in 2006 after he admitted £48,000 in false accounts while he was employed by the Post Office in Gaerwen on Anglesey.

Mr Thomas' name - along with 38 others - was cleared in April after the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice.

He will be invited to Anglesey council for a "formal vote of gratitude".

Mr Thomas, who was first elected to the former Anglesey Borough Council in 1986, resigned from the Plaid Cymru group on the council and was later disqualified from the authority following his imprisonment.

But Anglesey's current councillors have decided to publicly recognise the "terrible miscarriage of justice", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Bob Parry, who was a colleague of Mr Thomas' during his time as a councillor for Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog, presented a motion during Tuesday's full council meeting.

Noel Thomas and his family
Noel and Eira Thomas and their daughter Sian celebrated after Mr Thomas's name was cleared in court

Mr Parry said: "Noel suffered because of a deficient computer system, but after a long battle, justice was finally served.

"Noel was a popular councillor and a loss to his community and I can't imagine how difficult it all was for his family.

"I will never forget that picture of him being led into the back of that police van, but the people of Gaerwen supported him throughout.

"It is usually the case that we present retiring members with a gift and I feel that this would be appropriate in this case, and urge you to support this."

Noel Thomas was jailed for nine months in 2006 for false accounting

Councillor Aled Morris Jones added: "The family have been through hell over the years.

"No amount of compensation will make up for this miscarriage of justice but it's only right that we as a council show our support and respect towards Noel and his family."

Mr Parry's motion was unanimously backed, with councillor Alun Mummery stating Mr Thomas "had never lost his self respect".

As a result, Mr Thomas will be invited to attend the next full meeting of council to be presented with a "formal vote of gratitude for his faithful service as a county councillor".