Unanimously acquitted of having stolen from his customers, 60-year-old Douglas Thomas, for 13 years the sub postmaster at Tehidy Road, Camborne, until his suspension in November, 2001, said after leaving Truro Crown Court that he felt that both Post Office officials and the police had treated him with disrespect.

Now he could be taking action against them.

"I feel that I was set up," he said. "They sent in a woman to pick up her pension and immediately afterwards came in and embarrassed me in front of other customers.

"I might have done more for my customers than I should have done, but that is the way I am. If they had come in and said there was a problem I could have sorted it out within 15 minutes.

After my 22 years in the Post Office they had me guilty from day one.

"I have lost a good salary and had to sell my business for £45,000 less than it was worth. I could have gone on for another ten years before having to retire, and I would have continued for I loved and enjoyed my work and my customers. But they have made the past 20 months hell."

Mr Thomas said he had only been in to Camborne four times since his suspension and arrest due to his shame and embarrassment. He now intended going away on holiday before settling down to enjoy his retirement. He added his thanks to his family, partner and friends who had supported him throughout.

There was no shortage of support for the likeable sub-post master who had become a friend to most of his customers.

Before acquitting Mr Thomas of 11 charges alleging the theft of £715 from five of his customers the jury heard from witnesses and of a dossier containing 174 letters from people testifying to integrity and honesty and the way he went out of his way to help people.

Retired police officer Tony Piper described Mr Thomas as "one of the most honest, straightforward people I have had the good fortune to meet".

Retired solicitor Michael Trott said that he used the sub office almost every day and found Mr Thomas "very courteous and helpful" and Colin Webb, a magistrate for 26 years until his retirement, said he had known him for 40 years as a man dedicated to his business and his customers.

They also heard that between 1994 and 1996 Mr Thomas was twice voted the South West Region sub postmaster of the year and once was highly commended.

Six of the charges alleged thefts from the pensions of Betty and James Marland, a couple in their 80s, with whom Mr Thomas had been friendly because of their shared interest in tortoises. He explained that he had put aside £40 a week of her pension to be paid into her investment account because she did not want her husband to know what she had.

The jury heard that another customer, Mrs Crystal Butcher, from whom Thomas allegedly stole £200, had subsequently written a letter in which she spoke of always having found him to be "reliable, friendly and most obliging."

Her letter, read by defence counsel Simon Laws, ended: "No-one I have spoken to believes him capable of dishonesty."

When Mr Thomas gave evidence he told the jury that in 1994 he had won £500 as the best sub post office in the SW region, the following year had been highly commended and in 1996 he was named the best sub post office as voted by customers.

"I have an excellent relationship with all my customers, I go out of my way to help them."

Revealing that he had an annual income of about £40,000 at the time, he said he had not taken any money from customers - "I had no reason to". He lived a frugal life with his partner, Gerald Caldwell, had never been abroad apart from a week in Jersey, and did not drink, smoke or gamble.

Mr Thomas said he had more than 1,000 customers drawing more than £100,000 a week in pensions and benefits. When his counsel, Simon Laws, pointed out that he was accused of giving four people less than they were entitled to, he replied: "All I can say is that not one of them came back to me to say the money was wrong."

Mr Thomas said that when he realised Mrs Butcher had over-banked £200 he put the money aside for her. He had kept back £40 a week from Mrs Marland's pension at her request to be put into her investment account. "She always said: 'I'll put this away, I don't want 'e to know what I've got'."

Mr Thomas, who said he had been very distressed when questioned by a Post Office investigator and police officer, agreed he had used £250 of her money to pay for foreign currency ordered by another customer who had forgotten his cheque. This was entered in the accounts and the money was to be replaced when he was paid.

"I was silly but it was not done as a criminal," Mr Thomas declared. He had done other things for other people - "I loved my job."

Mrs Jeanette Thomas told the jury she had known Mr Thomas, her brother-in-law, for more than 40 years and had worked for him for 20.

"He was very fond of his customers, was very helpful, would do his utmost to help them, beyond the call of duty at times," she said. He had given one money to go to hospital in London because his pension was not due until next day, and loaned another £10 for her electricity meter.

She had not heard anyone say they had been short changed or given the wrong money apart from one man who returned £100 he had been overpaid.

Mrs Thomas said that after Mr Thomas had been suspended, she had been given £5 less than she was entitled to by a Post Office employee running the office. She had pointed out the mistake and been given the money.