Grenfell death toll cut as fraudulent claims are revealed

THE death toll of the Grenfell Tower fire was inflated by fraudsters falsely claiming their relatives had been killed, it was revealed yesterday.

Police are investigating eight fraud claims linked to the tragedy at the West London tower block in June.

There were thought to have been at least 80 deaths – but detectives said that some of the missing had since been traced, while others had been found to be false claims.

The fraud cases involve people who claimed either that family members had been killed in the blaze, or that they had lived in the tower themselves and lost their homes and possessions.

Two people have been charged and a third remains on bail.

Detectives would not say how many people were falsely reported missing, but they said fraudulent claims ‘have had an impact’ on the number of people feared dead, which they now believe is less than 80.

Police are also examining four reports of thefts from flats on the lower floors, which were not destroyed by fire.

Officers are still searching the tower for human remains and have used fragments of teeth and bone to identify 60 victims so far.

But they warned the search could last until the New Year – meaning the true death toll will not be known for months.

The latest victim to be identified was named yesterday as Mehdi El-Wahabi, eight, who died with several members of his family in their 21st floor flat.

His parents and elder brother Yasin, 20, have been confirmed among the dead while his sister Nurhouda, 15, remains missing but presumed dead.

Mehdi’s father Abdulaziz El Wahabi, 52, spoke to relatives from inside the burning building.

At the time, his sister Hana said: ‘He said he had been told to stay inside, stay in one room together and put towels under the door. I told him to leave.

‘He said he was going to come. Then I called him and he said there was too much smoke.’

The response of the emergency services is under scrutiny from the public inquiry into the fire, as well as from the criminal investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner said concerns about the conduct of the emergency services had been raised by families of the victims, some of whom were told to wait in their flats to be rescued.

Police are also examining 31million documents from 336 companies and organisations linked to the tower, including firms involved in its construction and refurbishment, when controversial flammable cladding was fitted.

Detectives have said there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect the tower’s owner Kensington and Chelsea council and its management firm may have committed corporate manslaughter.

Mr Bonner said he would consider whether individuals should face manslaughter charges, but warned any potential arrests could be months away.

Police identified 2,400 potential witnesses and have seized 2,500 pieces of evidence, including CCTV footage from inside the tower.

The investigation is the biggest operation undertaken by Scotland Yard apart from counter-terrorism.

Residents were recently allowed back inside their homes to collect possessions and reported some items had been taken, while one householder told police a large sum of money – understood to be hundreds of pounds – was missing.

Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said police were investigating whether the thefts could have been carried out by intruders, or by those authorised to be inside the shell of the tower, including police, scientists and contractors.

She said round-the-clock security at the tower had been increased but apologised to families about the thefts, adding: ‘I can’t explain to you the devastation that every police officer feels about that.’

Commander Stuart Cundy said the death toll ‘may come down a little bit’ but warned it was unlikely to fall dramatically.

‘I can’t explain the devastation’