The ‘Treloar’s Boys’ will be at the heart of an ITV documentary on the infected blood scandal to be shown later this year.

A total of 122 haemophiliac boys attending Lord Mayor Treloar School in Alton were treated with contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.

They contained viruses including Hepatitis A, B and C, and HIV, and at least 72 of the boys have died as a result. On February 26 some of the survivors were at the High Court in London to hear The Senior Master reserve his judgment on whether their group action for damages against Treloar’s could proceed.

Across the country more than 30,000 people were infected by contaminated blood products and blood transfusions. This negligence and the subsequent cover-up became known as the worst medical disaster in NHS history.

The working title of the Candour Productions documentary is Killer in the Blood: The Boarding School Scandal because it centres on the tragic personal stories of the haemophiliac children at Treloar’s.

They were sent there with the promise of a ‘normal childhood’ but instead became victims of secret medical research which left many with Hepatitis and HIV.

The 24-hour care on offer at Treloar’s should have given the haemophiliacs the chance of a normal childhood and school life, where previously they had been restricted by the physical risks of their condition, which prevents blood clotting after cuts and bruises.

In the late 1970s an NHS haemophilia clinic was opened at the school, which meant the boys could rapidly receive a revolutionary treatment – Factor VIII – on site.

Pupils and parents thought Factor concentrates were a miracle cure but they were a death sentence for many.

They led to around 1,250 people with bleeding disorders being infected with HIV and Hepatitis C, the most dangerous kind, at the same time, and another 2,400 to 5,000 people developing Hepatitis C on its own.

This documentary will share the deeply personal testimonies of the Treloar’s survivors, now men in their 50s, who have spent decades fighting for truth and justice. The film follows their journey leading up to the final report of the public inquiry, where they hope for long-awaited recognition of the truth.

Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual ITV, said: “As they continue their fight for justice, the raw truth of how thousands were affected by the 1970s and 1980s infected blood scandal is told by some of the last remaining victims themselves in this emotional documentary.

“It’s shocking how these men have suffered all these years from something that was covered up and could have been prevented.”

Anna Hall, executive producer of Candour Productions, said: “Killer in the Blood: The Boarding School Scandal shows the devastating effect first hand of a lifetime spent unearthing what happened to our survivors when they were just children.

“We are so humbled to have worked with the four men in this film who wanted to make this in honour of their school friends who died, so that the truth would finally be told.”