Where is Maggie Mahon now? All about the real-life mum from Netflix's Toxic Town
Maggie Mahon was one of the mothers who pursued legal action against Corby Borough Council after her son, Sam, was born with a club foot. The case, depicted in Netflix’s Toxic Town, centres on the Corby toxic waste scandal, where improperly managed industrial waste from a former steel plant was linked to birth defects in children born between 1989 and 1998.
Mahon became involved when she read an article about the lawsuit and recognized the connection between her son's condition and her husband Derek’s work at the reclamation site. She recalled how Derek would return home covered in dust while she was pregnant.
As per Time (February 27, 2025), Mahon shared that she initially questioned the coincidence but later joined the lawsuit. The 2009 High Court ruling held the council liable, marking the first civil case in England to establish a link between airborne toxins and fetal harm as per HIS Education, February 16, 2025.
Now 53, Maggie Mahon works as a teaching assistant in Corby, as per India Itinerary.
Maggie Mahon remembers brushing the dust off her husband Derek’s clothes each evening
Maggie Mahon played a critical role in the legal battle against Corby Borough Council, which was held responsible for one of the UK's most significant environmental scandals. Toxic Town, the four-part Netflix series, dramatizes the real-life events surrounding the Corby toxic waste case, in which Mahon and other mothers sought justice for their children, who were born with birth defects linked to the improper handling of industrial waste.
Mahon’s involvement in the case began after she read a newspaper article detailing the growing concerns over the rising number of children born with limb deformities in Corby.
Maggie Mahon soon connected this to her own experience, her son Sam was born with a club foot on July 10, 1997.
Maggie Mahon's husband, Derek, had worked at the reclamation site of the former steelworks during her pregnancy, regularly coming home covered in dust as per India Itinerary, February 27, 2025.
At the time, Mahon had not considered any link between her husband’s exposure to industrial waste and her son’s condition.
However, after reading the article, she recognized the potential connection and joined other mothers in the fight for justice.
The Corby case gained national attention as it became the first legal battle in England to establish a direct link between airborne toxic waste and congenital disabilities.
Between 1989 and 1998, 19 babies were born with limb deformities in Corby, an unusually high number for a town with a population of around 60,000 according to HIS Education, February 16, 2025.
The contamination originated from the mismanagement of waste materials during the redevelopment of a former British Steel plant.
Reports later revealed that contractors hired by the council failed to take proper safety measures, allowing toxic dust containing high levels of arsenic, zinc, boron, and nickel to spread across the town, as reported by Time on February 27, 2025.
A breakthrough in the case came when a former council worker, Sam Hagen, provided crucial internal documents to solicitor Des Collins. These documents exposed that the council had been aware of the contamination risks but failed to implement adequate safety protocols.
The legal proceedings culminated in a 2009 High Court ruling that found Corby Borough Council liable for negligence, public nuisance, and statutory violations as per Radio Times (February 27, 2025.)
This landmark ruling set a precedent in environmental law, proving for the first time in the UK that toxic airborne waste could cause fetal harm. While Corby Borough Council denied full liability, a financial settlement was reached with the affected families in 2010.
The exact amount remains undisclosed. Despite this, no criminal charges were brought against any officials involved in the mismanagement of the waste.
The case also prompted greater scrutiny of brownfield redevelopment projects in the UK, as insurers and environmental regulators began referencing the Corby scandal in risk assessment protocols, as per Time.
Today, Maggie Mahon, 53, continues to live in Corby and works as a teaching assistant. She remains one of the key figures in the town’s legal history, having played a role in securing accountability for the environmental failures that led to widespread birth defects, according to India Itinerary.
