Toxic Town real people: Meet all the families behind Netflix the drama
18 March 2025, 16:07
Here is the true story of Netflix's Toxic Town which tells an emotional account of the Corby toxic waste scandal.
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Netflix's Toxic Town has taken the country by storm with its moving portrayal of the Corby toxic waste case, which saw families fight for justice for their children who had been affected by the scandal.
Based on the true story of mothers such as Susan McIntyre, Tracey Taylor and Maggie Mahon, actors Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Claudia Jessie, are just some of the incredible stars taking part in this moving tale.
As attention surrounding the scandal continues to grow, viewers are keen to know more about the people portrayed in the show and where they are today.
Who are the real people in Toxic Town? Here are the true stories of the characters portrayed in the Netflix series.
Susan McIntyre – Played by Jodie Whittaker
Susan's story is a focal point in Toxic Town, with the series following her fight for justice for her son Connor who was born with a limb difference.
During an interview with Netflix, Susan opened up about the difficulties she faced following her son's birth, revealing: "Connor was born with no fingers on his left hand… At the beginning when he was first born, I couldn’t bear to look at his hand and it was really hard.
"But the more I looked the more I didn’t have to look at that, I had to look at him, because I loved him so much."
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Susan went on to join a group of women who managed to defeat Corby Borough Council in court for their part in the issues that impacted their children.
Speaking in 2009 about their victory, Susan stated: "That was a really scary moment, going to court and facing it all. At the end of the day I went to tell the God’s honest truth.
"When we got the verdict, it was just like wow, we’ve actually won. My pride was, the way we fought it. We fought it to the end."
It has been reported that Susan is now enjoying retirement, with her sons Daniel and Connor now living with their own families.
Tracey Taylor – Played by Aimee Lou Wood
The story of Shelby Anne, daughter of Tracey who died at four days old, left many viewers in tears.
Speaking about Shelby Anne's life, Tracey told Netflix: "We were excited, it was going to be our first child. Shelby was beautiful, they wrapped her up and gave her to me and I pulled a bit of the blanket away because I wanted to see her face, and that’s when I saw her deformed ear.
"They took her down to the special baby care unit and put her on oxygen and that’s when the doctor said, 'We think there’s something seriously wrong.'
"We called our priest who’d married us to baptise her and give her a blessing and then they came back, took us into a room and they said, 'We’re really really sorry but unfortunately she’s only got a two chamber heard instead of a four chamber heart, there’s blood being pumped into her lungs.'"
Tracey then asked if it would be possible to operate on Shelby Anne, however doctors informed her there was a 90% chance her daughter wouldn't come out of it alive.
She and her husband Mark then made the heartbreaking decision to take her off the life support machine, with Shelby Anne passing away shortly afterwards.
Unfortunately Shelby Anne was not included in the court action, however Tracey played an active role in the investigation, bonding with her fellow mums.
Speaking about the experience of going to court, Tracey revealed: "All the years of fighting and then finding out that yes, the judge believed us mums and we were right it brought a real big sense of relief because it was like 'I didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not my fault.'"
Sam Hagen – Played by Robert Carlyle
Sam plays a crucial part in the court case after he was alerted to the unsafe practices at the steel plant reclamation site, which ultimately led to toxic waste spreading throughout Corby.
Speaking about Sam, Robert said: "He was determined to make the best of his life down there to try and regenerate this town. He's the kind of man who made sure the traffic lights are working correctly and there's a zebra crossing in the right place."
Sam passed away in October 2022, however his daughter Heather Finnie told MailOnline of her father: "He was a stickler for justice – he wouldn’t let something lie. He wasn’t afraid.
"If he thought something was unjust, he would fight for it. I’m very proud of him – the whole family are."
Des Collins – Played by Rory Kinnear
Solicitor Des took on Corby Council after reading about the stories of the mothers and children in a newspaper.
Speaking after the release of Toxic Town, Des told the BBC: "Back in the day... we tried on a number of occasions to get a public inquiry into this issue and it was always rejected.
"I think there will be calls again for a public inquiry because a lot of the story has come out - a lot of it hasn't come out - and the bit that hasn't come out is important because of the learning process.
"This needs to be brought before the public in a more complete way, and I'm not criticising the Netflix production at all, but I think it really does require - in the light of this - that there should be further examination of the issues."
He added: "A full apology would represent a huge amount [to the families]."
Maggie Mahon – Played by Claudia Jessie
During an interview with HIS Education, Maggie revealed how she realised her son Sam's club foot may be related to the scandal, with the mother stating: "He had a pair of little boots he had to wear for six months. The first day they put his boots on, the doctors said, 'He’s going to hate this, but don’t take it off whatever you do.'
"That night, he was crying and crying. Derek came in from work one day, and I said, 'Read this article – you worked among all this, and Sam’s got a club foot – that’s a bit coincidental, isn’t it?'"
Now aged 53, Maggie is a teaching assistant in Corby.
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