£21million hotel bill for Grenfell victims

AT least £21million has been spent on hotel bills for survivors of the Grenfell Tower inferno.

More than 200 households were put up in 53 hotels across London in the aftermath of the disaster. Kensington and Chelsea council said it hoped survivors would be out of the emergency accommodation by Christmas.

But 24 households are still in hotel rooms nine months after the blaze that claimed 72 lives.

The council paid £20.9million for hotel bills between June last year and mid-February, according to figures released last night. The total is understood to have now passed £21million.

A further £8million was spent helping survivors who lost everything they owned.

Emma Dent Coad, who is the local Labour MP, said: ‘I cannot understand why the Government hasn’t sent in commissioners to take over the rehousing process.’

Deputy council leader Kim Taylor Smith said efforts were being made to speed up the process.