Latest editorial
Grenfell Tower as seen from the Grenfell Memorial Wall in the grounds of Kensington Aldridge Academy
THE government knew the type of cladding used on Grenfell Tower was dangerous in 2002 — 15 years before a deadly fire swept through the west London tower block, killing 72 people, the inquiry into the disaster has heard.
Former Building Research Establishment (BRE) director Debbie Smith agreed on Monday her evidence to the probe was that by September 2002 ministers were in no doubt that ACM panels with a polyethlene core should “never ever” be used on buildings taller than 18 metres.
The plastic-filled panels, which were added to the tower block in Kensington in 2014, played a key role in allowing flames to spread rapidly in the early hours of June 14 2017, trapping many residents outside.
YVETTE WILLIAMS and JOE DELANEY dissect the institutional dawdling that rubbed salt into the Grenfell open wounds prolonging the agony of survivors
As we approach the half-anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, the community gathers to remember loved ones while grappling with mixed emotions surrounding the ongoing deconstruction of the tower and the hopeful plans for a memorial, writes EMMA DENT COAD
