Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Toxic Town’ chronicling the story of how the council’s gross mismanagement of toxic waste from defunct steel plants led to several children being born with deformities, we get a drama unlike any other. That’s because it explores every part of this real life tale of incompetence and corruption in the small town of Corby in the UK, right along with how some good people did try to raise alarms before it was too late. Amongst them was a young technician by the name of Edward “Ted” Jenkins, whose decision to do the right thing actually resulted in his termination.
Edward “Ted” Jenkins Isn’t Entirely Based on a Real Individual
While it’s true that there were whistleblowers who helped blow this now infamous case wide open, Ted is not entirely inspired by one such individual. He is a fictional character who did his engineering before returning to his small town to take care of his ailing father and follow in his footsteps before realizing what he was dealing with was too big for him. He thus leaked files to a council leader, Sam Hagen, in the hopes that he could do something, but he was as helpless as him. Nevertheless, in the end, his work and his testimony proved crucial to bringing justice, so all his hard work did amount to something.
In saying that, though, it’s imperative to note that while Ted’s background, his family history, his motive, and his firing may have been fictional, he was truly inspired by some brave real-life individuals. The person he embodies most is actually Mark Bosence, a University of Northampton Civil Engineering graduate who was employed by the Corby Borough Council (CBC) from 1990 to 2000-1 as a technical official. It was during this period that he began noticing maladministration and negligence in handling toxic waste, only for all of his concerns to be ignored.
Mark Bosence Brought the Negligence to Sam Hagen
Despite all of Mark’s reports flagging health and safety concerns at toxic sites being ignored by his direct supervisors, he did not give up his quest and reported his findings to the Labour Party’s newly elected councilor, Sam Hagen, in 1993. This was around the same time he was removed from a former steel plant’s reclamation operation and reassigned elsewhere, but his findings proved very useful. He was also the one to tell Sam Hagen about how not only there was mismanagement at the site but also how truck drivers were ignoring safety measures to move toxic waste.
Mark genuinely believed that Sam Hagen would be able to do something owing to his position of power, but it took years for justice to be served because even the council leader was bound by issues. In the end, though, Mark’s leaked information and his testimony in the court of law proved most crucial. He did indeed testify when the Corby case went to court, explaining in detail how he believed that what he saw made it clear that there was indeed deliberate ignorance. He said contractors and council members weren’t bothered about the safety hazards and just wanted to clear up the waste sites for redevelopment as quickly as possible because all they cared about was a hefty paycheck and quick paydays. His own personal notebook from this time backed his claims.
Mark Bosence is Highly Successful in his Field
While Ted Jenkins fell into a lull following his father’s demise and his firing, Mark Bosence never stopped working. Instead, he climbed the ladder within his field and became a highly successful engineer. After his stint as a risk manager in the midlands, he actually moved on to become a Design Manager at URS Corporation, an AECOM company in nearby Kettering. All this while, he also took up the role of a Technical Project Manager at WSP CEL, where he remained right until 2014. Then, he evolved into the Director at MB Technical Solutions Ltd, wherein he serves as a Deputy highways manager in a joint venture between Central Bedfordshire Council and Amey for the delivery of Highways Maintenance and support services. As if that’s not enough, he is also a Design and Production Programme Manager at Highways England, meaning he is an engineer through and through and thriving in his base of Leicester, England, at the moment.
