BBC Local's new podcast The Toxic Waste Scandal investigates birth deformities linked to heavy metal dust in Corby
The Toxic Waste Scandal is a riveting new podcast series by BBC Local that tells the story of the harrowing real-life battle faced by a group of families in Corby, Northamptonshire to get justice.
These families alleged their children were born with deformities due to exposure to toxic waste in the1980s and 1990s during the cleanup of the town's Steelworks. This podcast sheds light on their struggle for justice and the impact of the alleged environmental negligence on their lives.
In the 1970s, Corby's massive steelworks employed around 10,000 people, transforming the town into a single-industry hub. But, after years of recession, the costly and unprofitable steelworks closed down in 1980. Consequently, Corby faced the worst unemployment crisis in England.
To revive the town, the local authority secured millions of pounds in government grants and devised a grand plan. They purchased the wasteland left by the steelworks and paid contractors to clean up the hazardous materials. During the cleanup, residents began to complain about mud on the roads, dust in their lungs, and a metallic taste in the air as lorries transported waste to the site tip, Deene Quarry.
In 2010, Corby Borough Council admitted to making mistakes in the cleanup process, and many families reached out-of-court settlements after claiming their children were born with deformities due to the contaminated air.
This new eight-part series from BBC Local, The Toxic Waste Scandal, launches on BBC Sounds on Tuesday 4 March, and is narrated by 32-year-old, George Taylor, who was born with a deformed thumb and forefinger in 1992.
The series recounts his family's journey. It took 10 years for the case to reach the High Court, where in a landmark ruling the judge accepted that airborne contaminants could have caused the birth defects. The court heard that George's mother, Fiona, had inhaled potentially toxic particles while working with his father, Brian, at a local pub where dusty workers from the clean-up would go.
Through the series, we experience this story from the perspective of the Taylor family and their fight for justice all the way to the High Court. For George, it offers a chance to truly understand his family's history for the first time. Their story is also the story of a town at a pivotal moment in the country's industrial history and even attracted the attention of the American legal campaigner Erin Brockovich, who followed George's story.
George said: "All this happened to me and the others when we were just babies. Once I was out of special care, Mum and Dad moved me 500 miles North to Aberdeen and since then I've never had the chance to really understand what happened in Corby that left me and other kids the way we are. Even if people know this story – I think they'll be surprised by what we found. It's been an eyeopener.'
The podcast features rare interviews with key figures, including the barrister Stephen Grime QC who led the council's controversial fight against the Corby mums, and one of the most important men on the cleanup team who still believes they did a good job. Neither have ever spoken publicly before and both still believe passionately that the council should have won this case.
Chris Burns, Local Audio Commissioning Controller, said: 'This is exactly the kind of story that BBC Local excels at, shedding a light on experiences of ordinary people, who wouldn't normally have a voice. It's a story that deserves a wider audience, because it's important and we hope people find it as fascinating as we do.'
The Toxic Waste Scandal will be available from Tuesday 4 March on BBC Sounds.
HM3
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Chilling last CCTV sighting of Brit before he vanished from holiday Airbnb
Denis Kopanev, 33, was wearing a dark-coloured baseball cap, a white shirt, and a matching beige jacket and trousers when he left his holiday let in Rio de Janeiro on Monday A British tourist who mysteriously vanished from his Airbnb while on holiday in Brazil was last seen leaving the property on CCTV. Denis Kopanev left his accommodation on Monday and hasn't been seen or heard from since. CCTV cameras filmed him leaving the home wearing beige jacket and trousers, a dark baseball cap, and a white shirt. He also appeared to carry a small bag. The last-known footage of the holidaymaker has been since shared on social media by Brazil media. The 33-year-old, who is Russian with British citizenship, was staying at a condominium in the trendy neighbourhood of Gávea in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Friends and family members have not heard from him since Monday. Denis, who works as a financial analyst in London, was supposed to travel to São Paulo the following day to meet an American friend. They were then planning to travel together to Fernando de Noronha, a volcanic archipelago about 215 miles off Brazil's north-eastern coast. The last location on his phone was at the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon near his accommodation in Rio. Denis never checked out of the property and his passport and belongings were left in the room. His disappearance was registered at the police station on Wednesday. According to his best friend Benone Moura, Denis loved Brazil and visited the country often, including as recently as six months ago. The friend said he never travelled without letting his friends and family know beforehand. Moura said he last spoke with him at around 5pm on Sunday. Family members contacted the British Embassy and filed a report, but have yet to receive any news. The case is being investigated by the Rio de Janeiro Whereabouts Discovery Unit (DDPA). Denis isn't the first Brit to go missing in Brazil in recent months. Journalist Charlotte Alice Peet, 32, was missing for four months, before she was found in a São Paulo hostel, when it was reported that she had admitted she didn't want to be in contact with her family, and the case was then closed by the local authorities. She is said to have told a pal she was in São Paulo on February 8, and planning to go to Rio de Janeiro, before her family stopped hearing from her, and quickly reported her missing. She was located by authorities using data from her phone.
Belfast Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
BBC confirms corporation will not appeal Gerry Adams libel ruling after it adds update to online article
It comes after the broadcaster updated an online article at the heart of the controversy, urging readers to be aware of the outcome of the case which found that the former Sinn Fein leader had been defamed. Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a Spotlight episode which aired in 2016 and the accompanying online article based on the programme. In a high-profile case, a jury concluded the content defamed Mr Adams (76) by featuring an anonymous source who alleged he sanctioned the 2006 murder of British agent Denis Donaldson who was also a high-ranking Sinn Fein official. This evening the BBC said: 'We have given careful consideration to the jury's decision. 'We will not be appealing its verdict, bringing this matter to a conclusion. We remain committed to public interest journalism and to serving all BBC audiences.' The verdict was delivered in the High Court in Dublin last month along with the decision to award the successful claimant €100,000 (£84,000). Jurors determined that the allegation — which Mr Adams has always denied — in the programme and online story was damaging to Mr Adams' reputation. The jury concluded that the BBC did not act in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way. The corporation was then ordered to pay Mr Adams' legal costs. The combined bill for both parties is estimated to be between €3-5m (£2.5-4.2m), according to sources with knowledge of the case. Speaking tonight, Mr Adams said the decision should be accompanied with 'a substantial reform' of the BBC's internal journalistic processes along with an acknowledgement that 'it cannot continue to be a voice for the British state in Ireland'. 'It must also become more accountable to the public,' he continued in a statement. 'There is an onus on the BBC to ensure that in the future its ethics and journalism reflect the principles and values of a public broadcast service. 'As I have already said the damages will be donated to good causes.' The offending online article remains on the BBC News website, however an update has been added. The update, alongside a link to reporting of the defamation case, states: 'In 2017 Gerry Adams commenced defamation proceedings in the Republic of Ireland against the BBC in respect of the article below and the BBC programme 'Spy in the IRA' upon which the article is based. 'In May 2025 a jury in the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, found in favour of Mr Adams and awarded him €100,000 (£84,000) in damages. 'A link to the BBC's reporting of the outcome of Gerry Adams' libel case, which should be read in conjunction with this update, is here.' It comes after the Taoiseach promised that defamation laws in the Republic will be changed as quickly as the Irish Government can achieve it. Earlier this week Micheal Martin praised the BBC reporter at the centre of the case, Jennifer O'Leary, as 'first-class'. 'I think the defamation laws need to be changed — we're going to change them,' he said. The Taoiseach vowed that the Government in Dublin would pass the legislation 'as quickly as we can' adding: 'I think we do need to get it through to create a balanced environment for commentary and for investigative journalism'. BBC NI director Adam Smyth previously warned of 'profound' implications of libel action as he expressed disappointment over the outcome. 'As our legal team made clear, if the BBC's case cannot be won under existing Irish defamation law, it's hard to see how anyone's could — and they warned that today's decision could hinder freedom of expression,' he said after the verdict. Meanwhile Ms O'Leary insisted she had entered the witness box with 'nothing to hide, only sources to protect' as she thanked them for trusting her. The BBC's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award and initially said it was taking time to consider an appeal.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
US tourist 'hit accelerator rather than brake in fatal crash' near UK landmark
A court heard US tourist Cathy Stewart, 67, hit a woman who was sitting on a bench near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland with her vehicle - the woman later died An American tourist involved in a fatal crash near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland hit the accelerator rather than the brake, a court heard today. US resident Cathy Stewart, 67, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' court charged with causing death by careless driving. A police officer told the court the collision, involving a grey Ford Transit vehicle, happened at the front of the Causeway Hotel in Bushmills at around 12.15pm on Wednesday. The officer said a pedestrian who was sitting on a bench was hit during the crash. The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Ambulance Service personnel rushed to the scene of the collision. The pedestrian was taken to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine but sadly died of her injuries. In court, the police officer said footage obtained from the hotel showed the vehicle being "parked in a disabled parking bay" before passengers departed, Belfast Live reports. The court heard that the footage shows the vehicle "move forward slowly" before it "suddenly bolts forward". The deceased's brother, who was also sitting on the bench, managed to "jump out of the way" of the moving car, the court heard. The officer said Ms Stewart, who was cautioned at the scene, "gave an account consistent with the CCTV." The driver told police she had "tried to apply the foot brake and hit the accelerator" and she "appeared remorseful" during interview, the officer said. The defendant said she had "never driven an electric or hybrid vehicle before" and had mistakenly believed the vehicle was "off". The court was told the defendant said she had got back in to the car and was "feeling for the brake to stop the vehicle". A defence solicitor described the collision as a "tragic, tragic case" where a "simple error" has had "catastrophic consequences." The solicitor read a portion of the defendant's interview with police, where Stewart had described herself as "just devastated". The solicitor told the court the defendant had said she "can't get that family out of my head" and that her "only thoughts are with that family". The court heard the defendant had worked for decades as a special needs teacher, had no criminal record, and had never been involved in an at-fault collision before. Bail was granted with a £5,000 cash surety with the judge describing it as "entirely disproportionate" to keep the defendant in custody or away from her home in the United States during what he said is expected to be a lengthy judicial process. The case was listed again for July 1.
