In Detail...

BBC Local Radio
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In Detail...

Exploring and explaining news stories from across England.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    Introducing... The Toxic Waste Scandal

    Explore the shocking events that ripped through a steelworks community in Corby, told by the people whose lives were irreversibly changed. Hear about anonymous calls, secret packages and poisonous ponds as families try to find answers to why babies in the town were being born with defects. In 2010, Corby Borough Council admitted it had made mistakes in the clean-up of the Northamptonshire town's steelworks. Presenter: George Taylor. Writer and Producer: Tim Wheeler. Producer: Sarah-Jane Muddiman. Story Consultant: Jack Kibble-White. Additional scripting: Jack Kibble-White, George Taylor and Kirsty Williams. Production Manager: Jenny Thomas. Music and Sound Design: Julian Corrie. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Executive Producer: Anna Bartlett. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin.

    3 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    1. There’s something wrong with George

    Exploring connections as orange dust blankets a town and a baby is born with a hand defect. George Taylor investigates what really happened when his hometown of Corby suddenly turned toxic.

    35 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    2. She’ll never play the piano

    As toxic waste spreads across Corby, the birth rate of babies with deformities rises. Simone is born with three fingers on each hand while, 500 miles away a baby George faces his own challenges. Also, at the site of the clean up, someone starts asking questions.

    20 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    3. The Whistleblowers

    A man with an axe to grind receives a provocative anonymous phone call. A dusty dossier ignites deep suspicions about safety violations and a chance conversation prompts a meeting with a newshound on the scent of something big.

    21 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    4. No cluster in Corby

    Des Collins arrives in Corby and comes face-to-face with the case that will change his life. With a group of fearless mothers looking for the truth, Des is determined to find out once and for all whether Corby’s orange dust holds all the answers.

    26 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    5. The cluster and the clean-up

    A second dead-dropped parcel threatens to expose the toxic waste scandal. Des Collins embarks upon a nationwide quest to try and prove that the clean up of Corby steelworks is the cause of the cluster of birth defects.

    27 min
See All Season 2 (6)

About

Exploring and explaining news stories from across England.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Local Radio
  • Episodes
    19
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2025
  • Show Website
    In Detail...

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