Following people faking deaths to get money and survivors not getting donations, outrage over the Grenfell fire tragedy continues.
The Metropolitan Police has advised Kensington and Chelsea council to stop the release of information that would shed light on action taken (or lack of) to minimise fire risks at Grenfell Tower, pre-fire.
Officers are carefully looking at the requests for information on the council’s response to the London Fire Brigade telling them about the potential risk of cladding on Grenfell and other buildings and tower blocks.
The London Fire Brigade wrote to all 33 of London’s councils months before the Grenfell tragedy on the 6th of April, months before the Grenfell Tragedy, after concluding that cladding had contributed to a previous fire in Hammersmith in 2016.
In April, LFB’s assistant commissioner, Dan Daly, warned all London councils they should check cladding was up to standard, and “take account of other fire-safety measures already in place in the building as well as potential mitigation measures to ensure that any potential fire spread does not pose a risk to health and safety”.
However, the Independent has revealed that it seems the council has something to hide. Despite repeated requests under Freedom for Information laws about what action Kensington took after the warning, the council has refused to provide answers.
Kensington has said the police have advised them not to release the information, suggesting that it could interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation.
Solicitor Alex Peebles has said, “The information cannot be withheld just because there may be risks associated with its disclosure. The council or the police must be prepared to give detailed reasons that explain why the disclosure would or would be likely to cause prejudice to others.”
Moyra Samuels from the Justive4Grenfell campaign group “For the community, nothing surprises us regarding the behaviour of the council. Of course we demand that they are truthful and transparent but we don’t expect them to be.”