Netflix's Toxic Town ending explained: Why do the mothers sue the Corby Borough Council?
Toxic Town is a four-part British miniseries written by Jack Thorne that premiered on February 27, 2025, on Netflix. The series is directed by Minkie Spiro and produced by Delyth Scudamore. It is executive produced by Annabel Jones, Spiro, and Thorne.
The show is set in the town of Corby in Northamptonshire, England and is based on the real life story of the world's first court case that established a clear link between airborne toxins and its damaging effects on unborn children.
Spanning nearly three decades, the series follows four mothers' fight for justice after their kids are born with deformed limbs. They sue the council for its improper handling of toxic waste materials that left their children with lifelong birth defects.
Netflix has described the official logline of Toxic Town as:
"When dozens of babies in Corby are born with disabilities, their mothers embark on a battle to hold those responsible to account. Based on a true story."
How do Susan and Tracey realize the truth in Toxic Town?
Toxic Town opens in 1995 in the small town of Corby, where Susan McIntyre and Tracey Ann Taylor's paths cross briefly at a hospital while they are both pregnant. A few months later, Susan gives birth to her second son, Connor, but is heartbroken to learn that he has deformities in his hand.
Soon after, her partner Peter abandons her, Connor, and their older son Daniel.
Around the same time, Tracey gives birth to a daughter, Shelby, and experiences internal bleeding that almost claims her life. Sadly, Shelby's internal organs are not fully formed at birth and she passes away three days later.
In 1999, Susan receives a call from the journalist Graham Hind, who informs her that he is investigating the connection between the improper disposal of toxic wastes and the sudden spike in birth defects seen in Corby.
Not long after, Susan and Tracey meet again and realize they are not the only mothers with children born with birth defects. They come across Maggie Mahon, Pattie Walker, and several other women with similar experiences.
The mothers initially blame themselves and their lifestyle choices for their children's deformities. But, it soon becomes clear that the toxic waste dump from the steelworks is the real culprit behind the emerging birth defects. They hire the lawyer Des Collins and his associate Dani Holliday to sue Corby Steelworks and the Borough Council.
Also read: Toxic Town on Netflix: Full list of cast for the British drama
What role does the Council play in the cover-up?
After the Stewarts & Lloyds steel industry closed down in the area, the Corby Borough Council undertook the demolition, excavation, and redevelopment of the land during the 1980s and the 1990s. It hired the independent contractor, Rhodes and Miller, to safely clean up the toxic waste material and reclaim the land for urban development.
While the project is underway, Ted Jenkins, an engineer for the Corby Borough Council, notices firsthand how the workers regularly flout the safety protocols in favor of a quick turnaround. When he tries to raise the alarm with the Corby Council's chief, Roy Thomas, his concerns are dismissed.
Thomas actively covers up Pat Miller's (owner of Rhodes and Miller) mismanagement of the toxic waste. He also ensures that all the incriminating documents are destroyed in a fire incident so that the council can be free of any liability.
Frustrated, Ted turns to Roy's colleague and fellow councilman Sam Hagen for help. Before the fire, Ted had secretly photocopied essential tender documents, which he anonymously begins sending to Sam. These documents prove that Roy and Pat were aware that the soil contained toxic chemicals like iron, cadmium, arsenic, calcium, and chromium.
Ted is later fired from his job for routinely flagging health and safety violations at the reclamation site.
Also read: Where was Netflix's Toxic Town filmed? All filming locations explored
Des Collins fights for the rights of the Corby mothers in Toxic Town
In 2009, Des and his colleague Dani Holliday think the council will settle out-of-court as they will not want to risk damaging their reputation in public. However, Roy and his team decide to go to trial as they are convinced of their innocence.
Des outlines his main objectives for the trial, which includes proving the council's culpability beyond reasonable doubt. Dr. Penman advises him to drop Tracey from the list of claimants and to only include mothers whose children suffer from congenital abnormalities to build a strong case.
Tracey is clearly hurt by the exclusion, as she feels determined to fight for her deceased daughter Shelby.
Initially, Des and the team believe that the toxins entered the women's bodies through the water supply. However, an official report from the health and enforcement officer conclusively proves that to be false. The report also asserts that the rate of birth defects in Corby is not higher compared to the entire Kettering area.
However, an independent epidemiologist figures out that the report contains miscalculations, and the true rate of birth defect is, in fact, higher in Corby than its surrounding areas. Des has to find out how the toxins got into women's bodies and realizes, after speaking to Tracey, that the toxins spread through dust.
He decides to bring back Tracey to testify about the dust. She returns only after Susan convinces her the fight is bigger than any one of them. Tracey's testimony proves crucial in establishing that the waste management led to the creation of the dust cloud.
Des and his team then have to prove that the toxic dust particles can travel a long distance since these mothers lived far away from the reclamation plant. In court, Roy Thomas presents Leslie Heasman's report, claiming that the dust could not travel far enough to adversely affect the pregnant women and lead to their children's birth defects.
But upon closer inspection, Prof. Tony Cox proves that the formulas and equations used to calculate the correct distance were wrong, thus establishing a clear link between the dust particles and the birth defects.
Des' team is left with only one more hurdle to cross. He has to prove that the council had knowledge of the situation and did nothing to prevent it.
Also read: Toxic Town soundtrack: A definitive guide to all the songs in the Netflix drama
Ted Jenkins comes to the rescue in Toxic Town
During the final part of the trial in Toxic Town, Ted is asked to take the stand as his testimony can make a huge difference. Despite his reluctance, he agrees to testify against his former company.
Ted shares how the reclamation process by the Rhodes and Miller plant was poorly managed from the start. He goes into great detail about how the untreated harmful substances were drained into brooks and streams.
Furthermore, he mentions that the trucks carrying the toxic waste materials were not adequately covered while being driven to the huge dumping pits across town.
The soil was transported without following any safety protocols, thus leading to the toxic chemicals being dispersed in the air. Ted also discloses that the drivers were asked to drive at fast speeds to get the job done in less time.
It becomes clear how often the company ignored the necessary safety measures and cut corners to increase their profit margin.
He also shares that Roy and Pat manipulated soil reports with full knowledge that they were putting people's health at risk.
His testimony, in addition to the doctor's reports, helps cinch the victory for the claimants. In 2010, the court orders the Corby Borough Council to cough up £14.6 million to the Corby mothers as compensation.
Toxic Town ends with the mothers celebrating their victory over the council, with Susan and Tracey spending time at Shelby's grave.
All four episodes of Toxic Town are available to stream on Netflix.
