logo
What we learnt in the BBC's Toxic Waste Scandal podcast

What we learnt in the BBC's Toxic Waste Scandal podcast

BBC News09-03-2025
One of the UK's biggest environmental scandals, the Corby toxic waste case, is back in the spotlight thanks to the Netflix drama Toxic Town.It tells the story of families fighting for justice after children in the Northamptonshire town were born with birth defects, believed to be caused by industrial pollution.In 2009, after a long legal battle, the High Court ruled Corby Borough Council was negligent in managing the waste.BBC Radio Northampton has produced an eight-part podcast, In Detail: The Toxic Waste Scandal, which offers a deep look into the real-life events.What have we learnt from the podcast series?
The verdict is still disputed
The civil court hearing was told the heavy metal cadmium was identified on the former steel site, and a medical expert cited research linking it to birth defects in animals.After the three-month hearing, Justice Akenhead ruled in favour of the claimants – 18 families from Corby.But speaking to the media for the first time, Dr Rick Smith, a clean-up consultant geologist for the council, says he believes the cluster of cases was not down to the transportation of the toxic waste.He said that while he agrees there was "cadmium in the stuff we transported", he disputed it would have caused the birth defects."I find it very hard to accept there was sufficient exposure of this very small number of members of the public to contaminants to have caused these distressing defects," he says."It defies any sort of logic. The whole thing is a mystery."He says the dust which was coming from the lorries was "not considered a health hazard by anyone at that time".Dr Smith added his colleagues were affected by the criticism following the ruling against the council. He said they were "hounded", and some never worked again.
Not all the families were in court
The podcast is hosted by George Taylor, who was born in 1992 with a unilateral upper limb defect, and whose family was one of the claimants in the case.But they missed the verdict at the High Court because they were on holiday in Majorca."My dad would not be swayed – he said we deserved a holiday," George says.But Danielle Holliday, a trainee solicitor at Collins Law at the time, was able to call the Taylors.George's mother, Fiona, recalls that she "just broke down in tears" when she heard the verdict as she sat on the beach.His father, Brian, says he "just got up and walked along the beach, crying".When the family returned to the hotel the case was on the television, including pictures of George, but he says he was "more interested in wrestling my younger brother" at the pool.
It was almost not a cluster
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter is emeritus professor of statistics in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge.At the time of the court case, he wrote a blog about the cluster of birth defects, and he speaks about it for the first time in the podcast."The number of birth deformities in Corby that were considered in the judgement was not especially unusual," he says."Using the calculations presented by the prosecution, we can estimate there are around 30 areas in the UK about the size of Corby that had more extreme clusters over that period just by chance variation alone."But there well may have been affected births – and of course I have every sympathy for the families. I'm only looking at the very technical issue of whether the data passed this established threshold."And it was very marginal. If there had been one birth defect less in the data considered in the judgement, there would not have been enough effect births to conclude there was an affected cluster."
The council boss still cannot talk
Chris Mallender, the then-chief executive of Corby Borough Council, was prominent during and following the court case, but once the settlement was reached he did not speak about it again.The team behind the podcast attempted to contact him for an interview, and after weeks of trying he eventually got in touch by calling BBC Radio Northampton's public phone-in line.Following the settlement, Mr Mallender signed a non-disclosure agreement, but it was hoped there were still things he was able to talk about on the record.Podcast producer Sarah-Jane Muddiman called him back and spoke to him for 24 minutes, but he said he was not able to be interviewed and did not want details of the conversation to be revealed.
The compensation has helped
Families affected won an undisclosed financial settlement in 2010, held in trust until the children turned 18.George, now 32, says he is not allowed to say how much it was."What I can say is when you've got chronic pain, a hole in your hand and three largely useless fingers, it's handy to have a few quid to help with adaptations, taxis to hospital and pain relief."It's also good to thank your mum and dad for dressing your wounds and keeping you sane."He has also revealed he is "playing host to another tumour, my third one, in my shoulder".It is 13cm across and he could lose his arm, but he adds: "I just want to live my life."
BBC Radio Northampton's eight-part documentary series In Detail: The Toxic Waste Scandal is available for download from BBC Sounds.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Teen rapist jailed for seven years after after horrific campaign of abuse
Teen rapist jailed for seven years after after horrific campaign of abuse

Daily Record

time6 hours ago

  • Daily Record

Teen rapist jailed for seven years after after horrific campaign of abuse

Kyle Jackson, from Paisley, has been described by police as 'a dangerous man" after he carried out horrifying crimes across a number of years. A Scots teenager who carried out a series of serious sexual crimes over a two-year period has been jailed for seven years. Kyle Jackson, 19, from Paisley, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, July 23, after being found guilty of rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. His campaign of abuse against multiple victims took place between September 2020 and October 2022. Jackson was convicted following a major police investigation and a trial at the High Court in Paisley last month. The court also handed him a non-harassment order, designed to protect his victims from further harm. Detective Sergeant Jonathan Campbell, who led the investigation, described Jackson as 'a dangerous man who carried out these horrifying crimes across a number of years.' He added: 'This outcome was made possible thanks to the victims who came forward and reported him and I commend them for the strength they have shown during the investigation and court proceedings. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "Our thoughts remain with them, and I hope this sentencing offers them some comfort as they move forward with their lives. 'Officers carried out extensive enquiries during the course of this investigation, and I would like to reassure our communities that we are committed to investigating all reports of sexual crimes. We remain determined to bring those responsible to justice no matter how much time has passed. 'I urge anyone who has been the victim of any offence of this nature to come forward to police – you will be fully supported by our officers and partner agencies.' Anyone wishing to make a report can contact Police Scotland on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Warning to parents to stop kids accessing toxic content online amid surge in children being brainwashed for terror acts
Warning to parents to stop kids accessing toxic content online amid surge in children being brainwashed for terror acts

Scottish Sun

time6 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Warning to parents to stop kids accessing toxic content online amid surge in children being brainwashed for terror acts

Terrorists are using slick propaganda to pull young people down a dangerous and potentially life-changing path, MI5 boss Sir Ken McCallum warned WEB FEARS Warning to parents to stop kids accessing toxic content online amid surge in children being brainwashed for terror acts Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SECURITY chiefs are calling on parents to stop children accessing toxic online material over the summer holidays. The unprecedented warning comes as it emerged a growing number of kids, some as young as 12, are being radicalised and brainwashed into committing acts of terrorism. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The NCA's Alexander Murray also warned of online toxic masculinity as seen in Netflix hit Adolescence. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix. Around one in five people arrested for terrorist offences are aged under 18 and half of all referrals to the Government's Prevent anti-radicalisation programme are children. Appealing to parents yesterday, MI5 boss Sir Ken McCallum said: 'In a few clicks, young people can be speaking to terrorists online, consuming violent content. 'Terrorists are using slick propaganda to pull young people down a dangerous and potentially life-changing path.' He joined chiefs from the National Crime Agency and Counter Terrorism Policing to urge parents and carers to be vigilant about children's use of the internet. It was the first such warning ever issued and comes after heads of the 'Five Eyes' nations — the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — last year called for action to combat the growing threat to kids posed by online extremism. Counter Terrorism Policing head Vicki Evans said: 'We encourage parents to activate parental controls on routers, devices and apps, and to start the conversation about online safety.' The NCA's Alexander Murray also warned of online toxic masculinity, as seen in Netflix hit Adolescence. He said: 'There is a fast-growing threat from sadistic and violent online gangs . . . including fraud, cyber, child sexual abuse, violence and extremism.' Stephen Graham and Ashley Walters' acclaimed drama Adolescence smashes huge Netflix record by DOUBLE after taking world by storm

First pic of Scots remorseless teen rapist who held axe to vulnerable victim's neck during sadistic attack
First pic of Scots remorseless teen rapist who held axe to vulnerable victim's neck during sadistic attack

Scottish Sun

time6 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

First pic of Scots remorseless teen rapist who held axe to vulnerable victim's neck during sadistic attack

The sicko was aged just 14 when he began his vile sexual offending 'DOWNRIGHT EVIL' First pic of Scots remorseless teen rapist who held axe to vulnerable victim's neck during sadistic attack Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A REMORSELESS teenage rapist who held an axe to a vulnerable victim's neck during a sadistic attack has been jailed for seven years. Kyle Jackson was just 14 when he first first struck during a two-year reign of terror in Paisley. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Kyle Jackson raped two vulnerable teens in Paisley The now 19-year-old was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow for crimes branded 'downright evil' by relatives of his two victims. Jackson had earlier been found guilty of a total of 10 charges following a trial in Paisley including the repeated rape of both teenage victims. The offences occurred between 2020 and 2022 at different locations in the Renfrewshire town. The families of the two rape survivors said in a joint statement: 'They have to live with the trauma of what he has done to them for the rest of their lives. 'The crimes that were committed by Kyle Jackson were downright evil and we now feel justice has been served by the jury finding him guilty of the charges.' Judge Sheena Fraser said she accepted Jackson was of a similar age to the victims, but that each girl had been 'vulnerable'. She told him: 'You took advantage of them. 'I have had the benefit of victim impact statements from each, which outline the harm that you caused them. 'It is clear that you do not take any responsibility for what you have done.' Detective Sergeant Jonathan Campbell, from Police Scotland, said: 'Kyle Jackson is a dangerous man who carried out these horrifying crimes across a number of years, and he will now face the consequences of his despicable actions in prison. Moment 'pathetic' Bryan Kohberger gets brutal insult-ridden dressing down from victim's sister who demands he 'sit up' 'This outcome was made possible thanks to the victims who came forward and reported him and I commend them for the strength they have shown during the investigation and court proceedings. "Our thoughts remain with them, and I hope this sentencing offers them some comfort as they move forward with their lives. 'Officers carried out extensive enquiries during the course of this investigation, and I would like to reassure our communities that we are committed to investigating all reports of sexual crimes. "We remain determined to bring those responsible to justice no matter how much time has passed. 'I urge anyone who has been the victim of any offence of this nature to come forward to police – you will be fully supported by our officers and partner agencies.' Jackson repeatedly preyed on the first girl who was also the victim of his violent temper as he choked her unconscious. The sex attacks included him cutting holes in the tights that she was wearing. The other traumatised girl suffered a similar ordeal at his hands. Jackson raped her despite her desperate pleas for him to stop. Jurors heard that he separately put this girl in a headlock, grabbed her wrists and hands as well as headbutted her. Sick Jackson even took photos of her as she wept. The fiend, also of Paisley, had denied the charges. Paul Nelson KC, defending, said: 'He continues to maintain his innocence. 'The court will sentence on the jury's verdict and not what Mr Jackson protests, one way or another.' He will also be supervised for a further three years on his release. The judge put him on the sex offenders list and banned him from approaching or contacting either victim for an indefinite period.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store