Windsor-based film company which uncovered child abuse scandal in Pakistan nominated for international television award

A film company based in Windsor which uncovered a wide-ranging child abuse scandal in Pakistan has been nominated for a prestigious international television award.

Clover Films, which has offices in Alma Road, Windsor, has been producing their hard-hitting documentaries from its base in the Royal Borough for almost 20 years.

Its latest award-winning production, Pakistan's Hidden Shame, provides a startling investigation into the prolific sexual abuse of young boys in the north-western city of Peshawar.

Jamie Doran, producer of Pakistan's Hidden Shame and Clover's head of programmes, said until his production aired, nobody understood the scale of the child abuse problems in Pakistan.

He added that he hoped the programme's nomination would help bring more recognition the plight of Pakistani children in Peshawar.

"I was in a taxi going from Windsor to Slough and the driver said he'd watched the documentary and wanted to take my fare for free as a way of thanking me for what I did for his country.

"It is a very important award recognising work in the developing world. It's lovely to be nominated," he said.

Pakistani authorities banned Jamie from returning to the country after the documentary was broadcast in the UK. But the Windsor-based producer says he is still offering Pakistani broadcasters his show for free in a bid to raise awareness of child abuse.

Jamie was the only non-Pakistani member involved in the production of the documentary, which was directed by his colleague Mo Naqvi.

Pakistan's Hidden Shame is one of the latest additions to Clover's long line of documentaries investigating the world's most war-torn areas.

And Jamie told the Express that producers had to be prepared for the 'death and destruction' that laid in store in countries like Syria.

"If you don't have a little bit of fear in you then you shouldn't go to these places. A sniper's bullet just missed the back of my head when we were in Aleppo."

Pakistan's Hidden Shame has already bagged a host of international awards, including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the United Nations Film Festival.

The top three nominees for the One World Media Television Award will be announced next month and the winner will be presented at a ceremony in London on Thursday, June 18.