GRENFELL Tower was turned into a death trap by "dishonest" construction firms, architects and negligent politicians who ignored fire safety for decades, a public inquiry has found, paving the way for criminal prosecutions over the disaster.
Seventy-two Grenfell residents lost their lives when fire engulfed the west London tower block on June 14, 2017, in one of the worst disasters in modern British history.
A public inquiry stretched across seven years has exposed how a refurbishment of Grenfell prior to the fire left the block coated in cheap and highly flammable materials while warnings of an impending disaster from those who lived there were ignored.
In an utterly damning report, inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick has now concluded that architects, companies involving in the disastrous refubishment, and the local council in Kensington and Chelsea are to blame for fatal fire. Cost-cutting on the refurbshment was prioritised over safety, while the warning signs of previous tower block fires had been routinely ignored.
And he found the "enthusiastic" pursuit of deregulation under David Cameron's government had trumped the need for fire safety controls across the construction industry.
The Metropolitan Police has now promised to pick over Sir Martin's report as a team of nearly 200 officers pursue criminal prosecutions.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy, right, said: "We will be thorough and diligent in our investigation while moving as swiftly as possible. We I owe that to those who died."
"The fire at Grenfell Tower was the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the contruction industry to look carefully into the danger of incorporating combustible materials into the external walls of high-rise residential buildings and to act on the information available to them," said Sir Martin.
This story is from the September 04, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 04, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Explore the other side of Mount Fuji
There are many ways to enjoy Japan's iconic peak without crowds, from hiking its sister summits to touring vineyards.
Sorry to tell you, but this daddy has issues
Parenting is not a threshold over which I have yet crossed, but friends tell me good cop/bad cop is still the preferred routine.
The joy of cruising in the Baltic Sea region
Tallink Silja Line offers a great way to travel in the Nordics, with luxurious short cruises connecting travellers to beautiful capitals around the Baltic Sea: Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn
How the capital's art world went broke on woke
Lectures on social issues instead of just amazing art: no wonder London's major galleries are in crisis
What on earth has happened to basic etiquette on the Tube?
The pushers, the shovers, the scoffers... Come on London, remember your manners
It's a Sputnik moment for the US as the Chinese upstart torpedoes ChatGPT
China's DeepSeek AI chatbot has caught the US off guard and sent shares into freefall
Interior motives: what London's most stylish are buying now
Scribbled on a jotter by the fridge or carefully colourcoded in a spreadsheet, lists are always revealing whether they're for groceries, countries to visit or beautiful objects to brighten up your home.
Are you sitting uncomfortably? Get set for the rise of the tech thriller
There's never been a better time for Mark Twain's maxim that \"truth is stranger than fiction\".
Is Maro Itoje the right man to lead England reboot?
The new captain must reverse the country's dreadful run of form in the Six Nations
Sweet Jesus, what asyrupy delight
One of the worst moments of my life occurred after ordering an espresso martini in a small-town bar.