The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Call for prosecutions after Grenfell report slams fire response
BACKLASH: London brigade boss has resisted multiple calls from families for her to stand down
Relatives of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire have called for prosecutions after a damning report found the London Fire Brigade (LFB) breached national guidelines through “gravely inadequate” preparation.
Sir Martin Moore-bick said the absence of a plan to evacuate the tower was a “major omission” by the LFB and more lives could have been saved had the “stay-put” policy been abandoned sooner.
Bereaved family members said it was “heartbreaking” that more of their loved ones could have been saved, and called on Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton to step down.
But some organisations questioned Grenfell inquiry chairman Sir Martin’s assertion that evacuation would have been possible.
Some of his 46 recommendations require “urgent action” from the government and others with responsibility for the “oversight and direction” of the emergency services, he
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They should be prosecuted. I’m not saying individual firemen, they do a hard job... but the seniors at the top get good money to do a very serious job. NAZANIN AGHLANI, WHO LOST TWO FAMILY MEMBERS
said in a letter to the prime minister.
Nazanin Aghlani, who lost two family members in the blaze, told an emotional press conference: “I think it’s quite evident that the whole LFB... is in the hands of people that are incapable of their jobs. They should be discharged of it.
“They’re responsible for a lot of lives and they don’t care much.
“They should be prosecuted. I’m not saying individual firemen, they do a hard job... but the seniors at the top get good money to do a very serious job.”
Ms Cotton said many recommendations were welcome and would be “carefully and fully” considered by senior officers.
She has resisted multiple calls for her to resign, and said the brigade was “fully co-operating” with the police.
Asked about accusations she was “criminally negligent”, Ms Cotton told Sky News: “I think it is right the police are the ones who will look into that.”
She added that she regrets causing offence to those directly affected by the fire over her comments during the inquiry that she would change nothing about her team’s response on the night.
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said there was “no way of knowing if evacuation could have saved more lives” and it could have led to further fatalities.
He added that the order in which the inquiry has investigated issues has been “entirely wrong” and it was prioritising scrutiny of firefighters over “the critical issues of public safety”.
The Commons observed a minute’s silence yesterday in memory of the 72 victims of the fire.