Grenfell Tower: Police investigating fire brigade’s ‘stay-put’ strategy

Senior fire officials who responded to the Grenfell Tower fire could face charges if their “stay-put” policy breached health and safety laws, police have said.

Metropolitan Police confirmed the policy was part of their investigation.

Asked if officers could be charged with manslaughter for not telling people to leave until two hours after being called, Detective Superintendent Matt Bonner said: “The London Fire Brigade (LFB) would, as any other organisation involved, have an obligation to conduct their activity in a manner that doesn’t place people at risk.

“It doesn’t mean that at the moment they have or they haven’t, but that’s where the legislation is most likely to arise if that was an eventuality.”

The LFB and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) were called upon to defend the policy during the public inquiry on Thursday, with the latter insisting here was “no obvious and safe alternative”.

Speaking on behalf of the LFB, Stephen Walsh QC said Grenfell “was by far the most challenging event” its crews had experienced in living memory.

He said many of the 700 firefighters who responded were placed in “intolerable positions” and forced to make decisions “with serious consequences whatever they decided to do”.

In a statement on behalf of the Fire Officers Association (FOA), Louis Brown commended firefighters for showing “extraordinary courage” at “great risk to their own lives”.

The FOA also suggested that “simultaneous evacuation” may not have been a truly viable option, but DS Bonner said the stay-put policy was “part of our assessment of what happened and therefore falls within the investigation”.

Met Police commander Stuart Cundy later clarified that the force was “duty bound” to look at a broad range of aspects, includin the emergency services’ response and preparedness.

The latest part of the inquiry began shortly after police carried out raids at 11 addresses, mostly in west London, and arrested nine people over allegations of fraud in connection with the tragedy.

Eight men and one woman who said they were associated with the tower allegedly made fraudulent claims for housing and support, ranging from £25,000 to £100,000.

DS Bonner said the force “thought long and hard” about carrying out the raids during the inquiry.

He explained: “There’s obviously a need for us to act quickly once we are able to, but also wanted to show due respect to events that have been going on in recent weeks in terms of the commemoration hearings and events that are forthcoming in terms of the anniversary.

“We have consulted with the community where we could and we timed them with utmost respect to all considerations.”

Responding to the arrests, Grenfell United chair Shahin Sadafi said: “It is hurtful and saddening that people would take advantage of a tragedy like this.

“It is not just that they have taken funds and charity that was not for them, it is disrespectful to the real victims of the fire and people who lost their lives.

“Our community has shown strength, determination and dignity throughout the last year. Grenfell Tower was a community of good decent people, and we were proud to be each others’ neighbours.

“These people have absolutely no place here. We are relieved they have been identified and rooted out.”

(c) Sky News 2018: Grenfell Tower: Police investigating fire brigade’s ‘stay-put’ strategy