Tories’ cuts hit safety checks

FIRE safety checks at tower blocks have fallen by a quarter due to Tory cuts.

The total number of fire safety audits dropped from 84,575 in 2010-11 to 63,201 in 2015-16.

And fire service budgets have been slashed from £419.9million in 2010-11 to a projected £326.8 million in 2019-20, according to the Fire Brigades Union.

FBU leader Matt Wrack said: “With so many fire and rescue service jobs having gone since 2010 as a result of cuts, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that critical safety issues are being affected.” Meanwhile, specially trained London Fire Brigade sniffer dogs have joined the grim search for bodies at Grenfell Tower.

The spaniels will painstakingly cover the upper floors with their highly sensitive noses.