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Is Toxic Town based on a true story? The Corby toxic waste case explained

11 March 2025, 17:30 | Updated: 13 March 2025, 16:44

Toxic Town has gained rave reviews. Picture: Netflix/Alamy

By Hope Wilson

What happened in Corby and did the families win the court case? Here is the real story of Toxic Town revealed.

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Netflix series Toxic Town has left viewers in tears as the drama documents three families fight for justice after their children were affected by the Corby toxic waste scandal.

The stories of mothers Susan McIntyre (Jodie Whittaker), Tracey Taylor (Aimee Lou Wood) and Maggie Mahon (Claudia Jessie) are portrayed in the series, which has gained rave reviews for its subject matter and stellar cast.

As more and more of us tune in to watch this moving tale, many viewers are keen to learn more about the stories told on screen.

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So what is the true story of Toxic Town and what happened in the Corby toxic waste case?

Toxic Town has gained a legion of viewers on Netflix. Picture: Netflix

Is Toxic Town based on a true story?

Yes, Toxic Town is based on the real story of the Corby toxic waste case, which saw families impacted by the scandal.

Between 1985 and 1997 a number of children in the Corby area were born with limb differences, with the characters Susan McIntyre (Jodie Whittaker), Tracey Taylor (Aimee Lou Wood) and Maggie Mahon (Claudia Jessie) based on the real lives of mothers who were involved in the court case regarding Corby Borough Council.

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Jodie Whittaker portrayed Susan McIntyre in Toxic Town. Picture: Netflix

Corby toxic waste case explained

In 2009 a judge at the High Court in London ruled that Corby Borough Council allowed toxic waste to be dispersed into the atmosphere.

The judge also confirmed that there were a significant amount of birth defects recorded between 1989 and 1999, adding: "Toxicologically, there were present on and from the Corby Borough Council sites, over the whole period from 1985 (and possibly before) until 1997, the types of contaminants which could cause the birth defects complained of."

They also stated that the council were "extensively negligent" adding that Corby Borough council were: "Liable in public nuisance, negligence and breach of statutory duty, obviously subject to it being established in later proceedings by individual claimants that their particular conditions were actually caused by the defaults identified in this judgment."

A year after the case, Corby Borough Council agreed a financial settlement with the 19 families involved in the case.