Jodie Whittaker was spotted filming exterior court scenes for Netflix’s upcoming drama Toxic Town on Monday.
The Doctor Who actress, 41, whose role has not been announced, was seen in a leather jacket and black trousers while filming a scene in which her character speaks to members of the press outside a court.
The upcoming four-part limited series from Broke & Bones, Toxic Town, tells the tragic story of the real life Corby poisonings, one of the UK’s biggest environmental scandal in which toxic waste in East Midlands led to birth defects in babies.
She was seen on set alongside Rory Kinnear who was dressed smart in a suit for the scenes in the drama, which is yet to have a release date.
The drama focuses on three mothers fighting for justice following toxic waste spillages in the town of Corby in Northamptonshire.
Shooting: Jodie Whittaker was spotted filming exterior court scenes for Netflix ‘s upcoming drama Toxic Town on Monday
Action: The Doctor Who actress, 41, whose role has not been announced, was seen in a leather jacket and black trousers while filming a scene in which her character speaks to members of the press outside a court
Filming: She was seen chatting to crew members while shooting
In character: Jodie tucked her short blonde tresses behind her ears as she was spotted speaking to press during one scene which was filmed outside of a court building
On set: Netflix’s upcoming four-part limited series from Broke & Bones, Toxic Town, tells the story of the real life Corby poisonings, one of the UK’s biggest environmental scandal
Reaching out: Lisa and Simone Atkinson (right-left) were affected by the poisionings, as Simone was born with birth defects
In 1980, the town experienced one of the biggest child poisonings cases and exposed children to a high volume of toxic waste, which saw more birth defects in this period than ever – the worst foetal poisoning scandal since thalidomide.
The local council attempted to remove the waste – an attempt that led to contamination spreading to populated areas, impacting the health of locals.
A case was subsequently brought against Corby Borough Council, which found the waste disposal had led to birth defects, with a far above average number of babies born in Corby with upper-limb defects.
Four-episode limited series Toxic Town tells the story of the legal battle between parents of the affected children and the Council.
Alongside Jodie fans will see Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood, Downton Abbey star Brendan Coyle, Robert Carlyle and The Diplomat star Rory Kinnear.
The release date is yet to be announced.
Toxic Town’s writer, Jack Thorne, said: ‘The Corby toxic Waste case is one of those moments in history that is defining.
‘It showed our ability to close our eyes and ears to the safety of our people. It also showed the remarkable way that people will fight for what’s right.
‘Toxic Town tells the story of these funny, brave, incredible women and the way they scrapped for their children.’
High spirits: The Broadchurch star was also seen on set alongside Rory Kinnear who dressed smart in a suit
Plot: The drama focuses on three mothers fighting for justice following toxic waste spillages in the town of Corby in Northamptonshire
Drama: In 1980, the town experienced one of the biggest child poisonings cases and exposed children to a high volume of toxic waste, which saw more birth defects in this period than ever
Co-stars: Alongside Jodie fans will see Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood, Downton Abbey star Brendan Coyle, Robert Carlyle and The Diplomat star Rory Kinnear
The Corby Poisonings
The Corby toxic waste case was a court case decided by The Hon. Mr. Justice Akenhead at the High Court of Justice, London, on 29 July 2009 in the case of Corby Group Litigation v. Corby Borough Council.
The judge found Corby Borough Council liable in negligence, public nuisance and a breach of statutory duty for its reclamation of a Corby Steelworks in the town of Corby, Northamptonshire, between 1985 and 1997.
The landmark decision was historically significant as the first in the world to establish a link between atmospheric toxic waste and birth defects and held implications for other council reclamation programs and the methods of conducting reclamation in England and Wales.
In November 2005, expert evidence was submitted to the High Court in London by the mothers of 30 children who claimed that during their pregnancies they were exposed to contamination from the waste removal operations.
They sought to bring a legal action to try to prove a link between the mismanagement of toxic waste and birth defects suffered by their children.
PICTURED: Parents and children affected by the poisoning releasing balloons in 2020
The case to be heard at the High Court in 2009 represented 18 young people who alleged that toxic waste dumped by Corby Borough Council between 1984 and 1999 was the cause of their deformities.
All had serious disabilities, including missing or underdeveloped fingers and deformities of their feet.
They alleged that their mothers ingested or inhaled the toxic substances that affected the development of their limbs while they were still in the womb. All of their mothers either lived in or regularly visited Corby between 1984 and 1999 when the work was carried out across the town.
The case had taken ten years to reach this point largely because of the difficulties encountered in obtaining disclosure of information from Corby Borough Council.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Akenhead said it was clear that the council had permitted toxic waste to disperse into the atmosphere.
He also said that there was a “statistically significant” cluster of birth defects between 1989 and 1999, and that, “toxicologically, there were present on and from the Corby Borough Council sites, over the whole period from 1985 (and possibly before) until 1997, the types of contaminants which could cause the birth defects complained of.”
Since quitting Doctor Who, Jodie was spotted filming scenes for the Australian thriller One Night at Malabar ocean pool in Sydney in February.
In 2021, Jodie confirmed she would be leaving Doctor Who, with the BBC revealing that her departure will play out across a three-part special.
The British star, who was the show’s first female Doctor, described her four-year stint manning the Tardis as being ‘the best job I ever had’.
Ncuti Gatwa was unveiled as the 15th Doctor on the popular sci-fi show in May 2022 after Jodie Whittaker confirmed her departure from the role.
He is the first black actor to take on the leading role as The Doctor, after Whittaker made history as the first permanent female Time Lord in 2017.
Break: While on set Jodie was spotted picking up a hot drink from a crew member
Star: In 2022, the actress departed Doctor Who, after confirming in 2021 she would be leaving BBC sci-fi series (pictured in 2021)