"Poison Water": A Damning Tale of Greed and Incompetence That Haunts Britain's Communities to This Day
For four decades, a toxic water scandal has hung over the small Cornish town of Camelford like a dark cloud, leaving behind a trail of suffering and death. The story, which is now being told in a gripping documentary called "Poison Water", is one that bears uncanny similarities to another high-profile case, the subpostmasters wrongly accused by Post Office software.
The tale begins in the sweltering summer of 1988, when residents in several Cornish towns started complaining about the blue or black water coming out of their taps. It was accompanied by a rapid outbreak of illness, from stomach upsets to rashes and severe headaches. As it turned out, the water had been laced with toxic amounts of aluminium sulphate due to an error at a treatment facility. Yet, despite the alarming symptoms, authorities told residents the water was safe – in fact, they even suggested mixing it with orange squash to improve its taste.
This callous response has left many feeling that justice has been denied, and that the truth about what really happened has been kept under wraps for far too long. While some have been forced to live with debilitating health problems for years on end, others have lost loved ones – in some cases, their deaths directly attributed to the water they drank or bathed in.
The documentary sheds light on this shocking tale through new interviews with those affected by the scandal, including residents like Carole Wyatt, who bravely spoke out about her own experience. Doug Cross, a scientist from Camelford, also shares his personal story of how his wife's sudden onset of Alzheimer's symptoms may have been linked to the contaminated water.
The programme also touches on the role of politicians, including Michael Howard, then minister for water and planning under Margaret Thatcher, who has strongly denied any suggestion of cover-up or collusion. However, with evidence suggesting that the government was aware of the contamination from an early stage, but chose not to act, many questions remain unanswered.
One thing is certain – the legacy of this scandal will continue to haunt Britain's communities for years to come unless those in power finally take action to reveal the truth and provide justice to those who have suffered.
For four decades, a toxic water scandal has hung over the small Cornish town of Camelford like a dark cloud, leaving behind a trail of suffering and death. The story, which is now being told in a gripping documentary called "Poison Water", is one that bears uncanny similarities to another high-profile case, the subpostmasters wrongly accused by Post Office software.
The tale begins in the sweltering summer of 1988, when residents in several Cornish towns started complaining about the blue or black water coming out of their taps. It was accompanied by a rapid outbreak of illness, from stomach upsets to rashes and severe headaches. As it turned out, the water had been laced with toxic amounts of aluminium sulphate due to an error at a treatment facility. Yet, despite the alarming symptoms, authorities told residents the water was safe – in fact, they even suggested mixing it with orange squash to improve its taste.
This callous response has left many feeling that justice has been denied, and that the truth about what really happened has been kept under wraps for far too long. While some have been forced to live with debilitating health problems for years on end, others have lost loved ones – in some cases, their deaths directly attributed to the water they drank or bathed in.
The documentary sheds light on this shocking tale through new interviews with those affected by the scandal, including residents like Carole Wyatt, who bravely spoke out about her own experience. Doug Cross, a scientist from Camelford, also shares his personal story of how his wife's sudden onset of Alzheimer's symptoms may have been linked to the contaminated water.
The programme also touches on the role of politicians, including Michael Howard, then minister for water and planning under Margaret Thatcher, who has strongly denied any suggestion of cover-up or collusion. However, with evidence suggesting that the government was aware of the contamination from an early stage, but chose not to act, many questions remain unanswered.
One thing is certain – the legacy of this scandal will continue to haunt Britain's communities for years to come unless those in power finally take action to reveal the truth and provide justice to those who have suffered.
? The fact that they knowingly told people their contaminated water was safe is just shocking - it's like a ticking time bomb waiting to unleash harm on innocent ppl 
. This documentary is super timely & I hope it sheds more light on this dark chapter in Britain's history 
. We need to hold those in power accountable for covering up the truth & giving justice to the victims 
. It's been 4 decades & it's time for change - let's get some real accountability now! 
It's crazy that so many people are still suffering from its effects, like Carole Wyatt's daughter who died from a brain aneurysm 
. And what's up with the government not acting sooner? 
They knew about the contamination early on, but they didn't do anything. This documentary is a game-changer, btw 
you should def check it out and learn more about this disturbing tale: 
this whole story just reeks of incompetence on a massive scale... like what kinda admin lets toxic water just get through to ppl & then tells 'em it's fine?! 
and now we got folks dyin or sufferin from it? 
and meanwhile, they're just sweepin' it under the rug & expectin us to believe they didn't cover it up 
. And it's infuriating that some people got sick or died because of this cover-up. Justice needs to be served ASAP 
.
. We need change and accountability