Toxic Town parents test Corby’s waterways to ‘keep fighting’

Families involved in the toxic waste scandal have been testing waterways in a town to detect if they were contaminated.

Children in Corby, Northamptonshire, have been born with birth defects, believed to have been caused when the town’s steelworks were demolished and dismantled in the 1980s.

Earthwatch Europe, a charity that helps residents investigate nature in their communities, worked with volunteers to test if metal was present across 50 sites.

A report looking into the impact of metals on aquatic life will then be published in January 2026.

Maggie Mahon, one of the mums who successfully took the local authority to court, said: “Deep down in my heart I know we need to keep fighting and get answers, and if it is fine, that is great, but let’s just not leave it to chance.”

Dr Sasha Woods, director of science and policy for Earthwatch Europe, said testing the sites was “very easy” and involved two processes.

Community volunteers were given citizen science kits, which provide immediate results for five heavy metals, including cadmium, chromium and zinc.

They also took an additional sample, which would be sent for laboratory analysis to provide more detailed data.

“In this instance, we are only testing the fresh waters for the impact metals can have on aquatic life; this study is not related to human health,” Dr Woods said.

“Our interest was simply helping the community.”

Ms Mahon, whose son was born with clubfoot, said she got involved as she wanted to rule out contaminants in the waterways.

“We just want to really get to the bottom of it and change the place and get it sorted for everybody,” she added.

“It is to really test what is going on and if there is anything we should be concerned about.”

During the testing, she said it was “scary thinking about everything” and at times had thoughts to “just leave it”.

Tracey Taylor, whose daughter Shelby Anne died at four days old, said she wanted to do testing for “everybody’s children and the next generation”.

“More generations can’t go through this and go through the heartbreak,” she said.

“We feel it is still in the ground and have been told it can leach into the waterways for the people of Corby.”