Treloar's blood scandal survivors seek police probe

Former pupils of Treloar's School have formally reported allegations relating to their treatment to police as they continue to press for a national criminal investigation.

Gary Webster, Steve Nicholls, Adrian Goodyear and Richard Warwick recently met representatives of the Hampshire Police’s Crime, Criminal Justice and Intelligence team, including the detective assigned to their case, after each made formal crime reports in recent weeks.

Representatives for the group said each complainant has been allocated an individual crime reference number.

'The Treloars Boys', as they are known, are among the few survivors from a cohort of 122 former pupils who were treated for haemophilia at the Holybourne school in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Infected Blood Inquiry heard how the pupils contracted HIV or hepatitis C as a result of treatment with contaminated blood products. More than 80 have since died.

The inquiry's final report also found the pupils were subjected to unethical research without informed parental consent.

Mr Webster said: "We are totally frustrated at the time it is taking to make a decision on a criminal probe at a national level but we took some hope from the fact the Hampshire and Isle of Wight constabulary are undertaking a thorough independent local investigation into possible criminality from our time at Treloar's and will be considering the full range of potential offences that may apply.

"Other former pupils are also encouraged to come forward if they believe they have evidence that might be relevant to this.

"So our fight for justice on behalf of those friends we have lost continues."

He said he had also written to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham "who was once a lone champion of the need for the police to review whether there was a criminal cover-up of the infected blood scandal and who spoke up for the victims during a parliamentary debate in 2017 whilst the rest of the establishment looked the other way".

Mr Webster added: "We realise Andy has many priorities in his first weeks as Prime Minister but are hoping he can exert some pressure to hurry this matter along.

"It is after all over two years now since the Infected Blood Inquiry final report and this scandal has gone on long enough as it is. We deserve answers frankly and not a fob-off."

The Treloars Boys will unveil a memorial to their former fellow pupils at Treloar's School on September 26, as recommended by Sir Brian Langstaff's final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Funded by the Cabinet Office and Candour Productions, which made a documentary about the pupils' experiences, the memorial has been created by acclaimed sculptor Tom Murphy, who also designed the Hillsborough Memorial in Liverpool.

The work is intended to be a permanent reminder of what happened at the school and of all those whose lives were tragically cut short as a result of treatment there.

A Hampshire Police spokesperson said: "We are linked in with our national policing partners who are undertaking a review as a result of the Infected Blood Inquiry.

"Locally, we have met with infected and affected individuals in Hampshire, and crime reports have been taken.

"We will conduct a thorough review of all the information provided to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to determine our next steps."

The former pupils' campaign has gathered momentum since the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry's final report in 2024 and the broadcast of the ITV documentary The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School, which highlighted the experiences of boys treated at Treloar's.