Bill Stickers, famously imprisoned in the 70s for a robbery he always denied, has spoken of his "bitter-sweet" feelings at being finally cleared of all charges. His supporters have long insisted he was the unfortunate victim of mistaken identity and had not taken part in an Essex burglary in 1974 in which a police officer was shot in the leg and injured.
The most unpleasant part of the whole experience, according to Mr Stickers, was the 'triumphant' advertising campaign undertaken by the Metropolitan Police proclaiming his guilt.
In a highly unusual move, the police decided to plaster practically every blank wall in London with a sign or message reading "Bill Stickers will be prosecuted", such was their confidence that a successful conviction would indeed be secured.
Despite presiding judge Justice Ongat Wilite condemning this "highly prejudicial" approach by the police, Mr Stickers was indeed found guilty, leading to a massive popular campaign insisting on the innocence of the unfortunate accused.
Family and friends, including the influential London poet Bill Posters, embarked on a high-profile bid to expose a miscarriage of justice. The message "Bill Stickers is innocent" seemed to appear everywhere, on badges, T-shirts, and famously in the lyrics of ABBA's hit record "Dancing Queen".
Despite spending decades as the victim of a brutal miscarriage of justice, Stickers insists he is not going to seek the compensation to which many think him entitled. "I'm just happy to at last have found justice," he explained to journalists this morning. "But it's important that we remember the other victims who have not been as fortunate as me. Far from resting on my laurels, I'm going to continue campaigning for those poor souls still in prison for crimes they did not commit. This one's for you, Hissing Sid!"
