A £19.5 million interim compensation package is to be provided for postmasters who played a crucial role exposing the Horizon IT scandal.
Faults in accounting software installed led to wrongful prosecutions and convictions in a 16 year period between 1999 and 205.
Those taking the first legal action had a £43 million settlement swallowed up b legal costs, and were then ineligible for a shortfall scheme set up to compensate others.
