Post Office campaigner Sir Alan Bates gets married on Richard Branson’s island

Branson officiated the ceremony and gave a speech

The 70-year-old and his partner of 34 years Suzanne Sercombe got married on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

The wedding was officiated by Branson, who reportedly invited the couple to his island after Sir Alan said in a January interview with the Times: "If Richard Branson is reading this, I’d love a holiday.”

The Virgin tycoon also gave a speech at the ceremony.

Speaking about the wedding, Sir Richard told The Sunday Times: "It was an absolute joy to play a small part in Alan and Suzanne's love story, and I know they will continue to spread the beautiful light they share with everyone around them."

According to the publication, the ceremony was a surprise to the new Lady Bates, who wore a sun dress she packed for the holiday.

Bates was thrust into the national spotlight following the broadcast of ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, in January this year, which detailed the Post Office scandal.

The former post office operator founded the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, and was one of the key voices and campaigners in bringing attention to the Horizon IT scandal, in which hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty software said money was missing from Post Office branch accounts.

Bates and his now-wife's campaigning over the years helped lead to the mass quashing of hundreds of the convictions.

He was awarded a knighthood earlier this year for his work in campaigning for justice.