The families of 19 children from Corby, Northamptonshire have welcomed an out of court agreement for compensation from the local authority because of deformities suffered by their children. The children were born with deformities to their hands and feet which were caused by their mothers inhaling toxic fumes from a disused steelworks whilst pregnant.
The local authority, Corby Borough Council, was found to be negligent in the way it managed waste at the site of the steelworks in the 80s and 90s following closure of the site. The council had previously denied that it was negligent as well as denying the existence of any causal link between the removal of waste at the site and the deformities the children suffer.
The council agreed to drop its appeal having reached a binding agreement with the victims and their families. The agreement will set an interesting legal precedent regarding the duty of care of local authorities.