The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Grenfell Tower victims to receive emergency funds

Police warn the figure of 58 people feared dead is to rise, with updated numbers set to be released today

- STewarT alexander

Victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster who have been left homeless will be given at least £5,500 from an emergency fund, Theresa May has announced.

Residents will be given £500 in cash followed by a bank payment for the rest from today.

The Prime Minister said the Government was doing everything possible to help those caught up in the tragedy.

It was first estimated at least 58 people had been left dead but police now say that number is higher and they will update it today.

The money will come from the £5 million fund announced by Mrs May on Friday.

No 10 said the £500 cash payment is already being handed out and further payments will be available from the Westway Centre and the nearby post office in Portobello Road.

Help will be given to residents who do not have bank accounts.

Mrs May said: “As we continue to respond to the needs of the community, our focus is on ensuring that all of those affected by this unimaginab­le tragedy get the right support as quickly as possible.

“My government will continue to do absolutely everything possible to help all of those affected through the difficult days, weeks, months and years ahead.”

The move came as the official response to the crisis drew fresh condemnati­on from residents and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

In a statement to the Press Associatio­n, residents who met Mrs May in Downing Street over the weekend criticised Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisati­on for its reaction to the disaster.

The group said: “In our meeting at Downing Street, we explained to the Prime Minister the anger of all residents towards the management of the estate over a long period of time, paving the way to this tragedy.

“With the exception of very few junior officers, the estate managers have been invisible in the aftermath of the tragedy.”

Mr Khan said the local community was “frustrated” and “angry” in the wake of the blaze after he attended a church service near the tower block.

His remarks came as Nick PagetBrown, the Tory leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, insisted officials were on the ground “very soon” after the fire broke out following criticism from Mrs May, who said the support given to residents was “not good enough”.

He also sidesteppe­d questions over whether he felt guilty about the tragedy, telling BBC Radio 4’s The World At One: “I feel terrible about the whole position we find ourselves in. All I’m keen to say is there is an effective, coordinate­d relief effort on the ground and I’m sorry if people haven’t seen that.”

Speaking outside St Clement’s Church, Mr Khan said: “There is a feeling from the community that they have been treated badly because some of them are poor.

“The tragedy we’re seeing is because of the consequenc­es of mistakes and neglect from politician­s, from the council and from the Government.”

The residents group said while it welcomed the funding it had not been consulted before the announceme­nt was made.

They said: “We naturally welcome funds for those in need, though this does show once more the tendency to sideline residents’ views.

“At No 10 yesterday, the Prime Minister assured the group that from now on residents would be consulted on a coordinate­d relief effort.This has not happened with these funds.”

 ?? Pictures: PA. ?? A passer-by looks at tributes left to the victims outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near to Grenfell Tower in west London.
Pictures: PA. A passer-by looks at tributes left to the victims outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near to Grenfell Tower in west London.

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