Parents of Corby children with cancer say 'enough is enough' as they plan protest
A group of parents concerned about cancer rates among Corby children are planning a silent protest at the Corby Cube this week.
The Corby Childhood Cancer group represents dozens of families who say they want answers over what they say is disproportionately high cancer rates in the town.
They believe that Corby Council’s mismanaged steelworks clean-up, which has already been the subject of a successful high court case, is the reason for their children’s cancers.
Back in 2018, Alison Gaffney’s little boy Fraser was diagnosed with leukaemia aged just 17 months. Although he as successfully treated, Alison says that she lives with the nightmare of a recurrence every day.
She has spent years looking for answers and asking questions of the authorities involved in the botched clean-up of the steelworks, as well as challenging those now in power to help her search for the truth.
She says she has hit brick wall after brick wall.
“There’s a problem. We know there’s a problem,” said Alison.
"We just want people to work with us to find out what’s going on here.”
In the past few years Alison has been in touch with dozens of families from Corby, or those who have previously lived here, whose children have developed cancer.
She says that, despite a report that was released in January that found childhood cancer rates in Corby were no higher than in other areas, she and other parents believe that simply cannot be the case.
"We know that toxic waste was dumped in areas it should not have been dumped in. We have whistle-blowers who’ve told us what they saw.
“People have a right to know where that waste was buried and the effect it’s having on their children’s health.
"We really want to work with the authorities but they listened to us for about five minutes and then sought legal advice and now we can only talk to them through lawyers.”
Alison says that the latest case of cancer, a Corby teen who has a rare brain tumour, has reaffirmed her belief that something is not right.
"Enough is enough,” she said.
"We did FOIs to all the hospitals, in Nottingham Leicester and locally, and they came back with ten cases in the past year just for Corby postcodes.
"How many more? We can count 20 that we know of in a year and a half.”
Alison and her fellow campaigners have now decided to act.
"They’re not listening to us,” she said.
"So we’re going to stand there and they can see the faces of the families and the children involved.
"I’m not doing this for me. We’re doing it for the children and the grandchildren of people in Corby and of those people in power who live here.”
Alison is hoping that people from Corby will join her protest calling for a public enquiry which is taking place ahead of North Northamptonshire Council’s full council meeting on Thursday (July 16) at 5pm.