11-07-2025
Lawyer who represented families in toxic waste scandal calls for public inquiry
The lawyer representing the families in the Corby toxic waste scandal is joining MPs in Corby and Kettering in their calls for a public inquiry into what happened.
The scandal involved a series of birth defects in children born to mothers living near the former steelworks in Corby.
Following the closure of the steelworks in the 1980s, the area was redeveloped and millions of tonnes of toxic waste were moved, often in open lorries.
Now the town's two labour MPs Lee Barron who represents Corby and Rosie Wrighting, who is the MP for Kettering are backing the call for a government inquiry.
Des Collins, senior partner at Collins Solictors, is the lawyer who represented the families in the 2009 high court case.
He along with Lee Barron MP and Rosie Wrighting MP have sent a letter to North Northamptonshire council demanding they reveal where they got rid of the waste.
'Tell us where this stuff is buried'
Des said: "We think the majority of the waste was put into landfill, the suggestion being made at the moment is they didn't know to bury the waste properly.
"We are going to ask the council against the background of the 2009 judgement to tell us exactly where this stuff is buried and if they don't know, why they don't know.
'I think Corby has been badly let down'
"There should be a public inquiry into Corby because that's something we believed should be addressed by government, because it doesn't stand up to scrutiny that they know stuff was moved and moved badly.
"The way to sort this out is for the council to say this is how it's buried, this is where it's buried, this is testing we have done to show that there is nothing wrong here but this is not what they are doing."
What did the high court case find?
The case which involved 18 families, conclusively showed that the birth defects seen in children and babies living in the town was because of airborne waste.
It also found that Corby Borough Council did not dispose of the waste correctly and that they were negligent in managing it.
It also established that the material had been in the ground and that the waste could cause embryonic birth defects.
Toxic Town
The scandal has been brought more into public attention through the Netflix show Toxic Town which tells the stories of a group of mothers who joined together to fight for justice.
The drama centres around three of the mothers at the centre of the scandal who fought for justice after their children were born with birth defects.
Most of the children were born with missing fingers or toes - a phenomenon referred to at the time as "Corby Hand" - and some of the babies died.
Des said: "Around 30 or 40 families have come to us since Toxic Town with concerns about birth defects such as leukaemia."
