Payout for victims of toxic waste birth defects

In a landmark High Court ruling last July, Corby Borough Council in Northamptonshire was found negligent in its management of toxic waste at the former steelworks site in the town during the 1980s and 1990s.

The council had denied it was negligent and denied there was a link between the removal of waste to a quarry north of the site and deformities affecting hands and feet.

But Mr Justice Akenhead found there was a "statistically significant" cluster of birth defects between 1989 and 1999.

The council had previously said it would fight the ruling, but yesterday agreed to drop its challenge. After talks this week, it said it had reached a final, binding agreement with 19 young people.

It will now pay compensation to each of the children, without accepting liability in the case, it announced yesterday in a joint statement with the solicitors of the families involved.

The statement said the financial terms of settlement remain confidential and would require approval by the court in the case of the younger children.

Corby Council chief executive Chris Mallender said: "The council recognises that it made mistakes in its clean-up of the former British Steel site years ago and extends its deepest sympathy to the children and their families.

"Although I accept that money cannot properly compensate these young people for their disabilities and for all that they have suffered to date and their problems in the future, the council sincerely hopes that this apology coupled with today's agreement will mean that they can now put their legal battle behind them and proceed with their lives with a greater degree of financial certainty."