Tarek Panja

The BBC understands that the British government will investigate the historical use of electric shock treatment, or ECT, in state hospitals run by Britain's National Health Service, which aim to change people's sexuality.

A BBC investigation found that at least 250 people were subjected to the therapy in the 1960s and 70s.

Survivors say they were referred by their school, church or a court and have told of their lasting physical and psychological pain.

You might find this report from Hayley Hassel contains distressing details.

Aversion therapy was a painful procedure, involving patients having straps fastened to their arms and legs and being given electric shocks, often for more than an hour at a time, every week, over a 6-12 month period, to try to change their sexuality.

The idea was to associate the pain with their sexual preferences.

This happened in at least 10 hospitals.

to at least 250 people between 1963 and 1973.

Gay men, lesbians and transgender people were all subjected to the therapy.

Some patients were bribed or threatened with being expelled from school or losing their jobs to coerce them into changing their sexuality.

Jeremy, who lives in the north-west of England, was at school when his teacher discovered he had feelings for another boy.

Most of the doctors who carried out this so-called treatment are in their 80s or 90s or are no longer alive.

But I managed to track down one who took part.

Jim was just a trainee then and he asked to meet a woman, Pauline, who endured 20 sessions of electric shocks at Crumsell Hospital in Manchester when she was 19.

I'm here to firstly apologise on behalf of all of those of us who were involved back in those days.

Psychology was going through a very strange period at that time.

We thought we could change everybody.

Looking back, I think shame is not an inappropriate word.

I'm ashamed that we were doing that, unreservedly sorry.

Thank you for that apology.