Death Row?

This article could sadly be the future for Rugby Residents that have been duped into buying land on or near toxic ground...

Parents to sue council over land contamination

The parents of 30 children who were born with malformed limbs have won the right to sue Corby Borough Council over the toxic contamination of the area.

Following a successful application to the High Court in London, they have begun a legal action which seeks to establish that the council's mismanagement of clean-up works at former steel-making sites in the town between 1985 and 1999 caused the birth defects.

Corby was once a hub of the steel industry, but when the industry went into decline, the local authority was left to clean up the contaminated sites.

Hospitals in the area noticed a higher-than-normal rate of babies born with without fingers and other defects such as webbed hands and feet, prompting parents to take action. Figures suggest the rate of upper-limb abnormality in Corby is 15 times the national average.

The case has been working its way through the legal system since 2002. The parents believe that the excavation and transport of toxic waste containing lead and zinc-based by-products from the former steelworks to as many as 16 separate waste pits in and around the town caused the birth defects.

In November 2005, Lord Chief Justice Phillips finally permitted the claimants to enter a class action, which will be led by Collins solicitors.