The Grenfell Tower fire has been labelled "the culmination of decades of failure" by the Government and construction industry to properly consider the danger of flammable materials in high-rise tower blocks, the final report into the disaster has concluded.
The public inquiry, chaired by retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, published the final report today into the causes of the 2017 fire - which killed 70 people at the scene, and two later in hospital.
The tower, in west London, was covered in flammable cladding due to the "systematic dishonesty" of firms who made and sold the material, Moore-Bick said.
He added that each one of the 72 deaths in the blaze were avoidable, and the people who lived and died in the high-rise block had "badly failed" by authorities and the construction industry through incompetence, dishonesty and greed.
Reacting to the report's release, Sir Keir Starmer said it identified "substantial and widespread failings" and pledged that the Government would carefully consider the report and its recommendations "to ensure that such a tragedy cannot occur again".
The PM added: "My thoughts today are wholly with those bereaved by, and survivors of, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the residents in the immediate community. This day is for them.
"I hope that Sir Martin's report can provide the truth they have sought for so long, and that it is step towards the accountability and justice they deserve."
Moore-Bick said Grenfell was covered in flammable cladding due to the "systematic dishonesty" of firms who made and sold it
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The scene on Wednesday outside Dorland House in central London where the report's findings were unveiled
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Grenfell Tower, pictured a few days after the firePALondon Mayor Sadiq Khan said the residents of Grenfell Tower "paid a price for systemic dishonesty, corporate greed and institutional indifference and neglect".
As Khan paid tribute to the 72 lives lost, he issued a blistering attack on authorities and building firms, saying the fire "isn't just a heart-breaking tragedy, it's a horrific injustice and a national disgrace".
The Mayor continued: "Profit has been put before people... [It] isn't just shameful, it's utterly indefensible."
The final report stretches over seven volumes and nearly 1,700 pages
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A memorial sign, pictured on the hoarding around the block
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The Metropolitan Police said it was a "significant milestone for those deeply affected by the tragedy".
The Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy called the report "direct and comprehensive", and praised its "clear conclusions" as he warned police had "one chance to get our investigation right".
In their own investigation, police are examining the roles of:
- The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council.
- The council's tenant management organisation.
- Firms involved in building work.
- Other companies which supplied and manufactured building materials.
He continued: "I can't pretend to imagine the impact of such a long police investigation on the bereaved and survivors, but we have one chance to get our investigation right.
"We will be thorough and diligent in our investigation while moving as swiftly as possible. We owe that to those who died and all those affected by the tragedy."
The public inquiry published its final report today into the causes of the fire
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The fire killed 70 people at the scene alongside two later in hospitalPALondon Fire Brigade commissioner Andy Roe said: "On this day, our thoughts remain with the 72 people who lost their lives, the survivors, their families, and the entire Grenfell community. We must never forget the impact the tragedy has had on that community.
"On the night of the fire, the brigade faced the most formidable challenge that any fire service in the UK has confronted in living memory.
"Staff responding to the fire on the night of the tragedy, as well as members of other emergency services who attended in support of the brigade, showed extreme courage in the face of the most appalling of circumstances."
Earlier today, Ricky Nuttall, a firefighter who was forced to abandon an attempt to rescue a resident from the tower's 15th floor, said there were a "cataclysmic series of failings" in the building, speaking to the BBC.
Nuttall told the broadcaster that he was running out of air, and alongside a colleague, they decided an attempt to reach the victim would have left "three people in mortal danger rather than one".
The Fire Brigades Union said it had "always argued" that the fault for the fire lay at the feet of central Government - and its general secretary, Matt Wrack, said the report "completely vindicates" their position.
More to follow...