Don’t vilify me, says man from flat where Grenfell fire began

♦ The resident whose fridge freezer is thought to have started the Grenfell Tower fire urged the public inquiry to exonerate him from claims that he was to blame.

Behailu Kebede said he had been made to suffer “stress, trauma and guilt” after being wrongly held responsible by some for the deaths of 72 people killed as a result of the inferno.

The inquiry into the disaster heard yesterday that he did all he could to warn his neighbours and make sure they had a chance to escape. But the reaction he suffered for his role in the disaster led to police becoming so concerned about his safety that they offered Mr Kebede and his family witness protection.

Speaking on his behalf, Rajiv Menon QC told the inquiry: “Mr Kebede hopes that having heard all the evidence, the inquiry will make a clear and unequivocal statement that Mr Kebede is absolutely blameless for the outbreak of the fire, its spread and its fatal consequences.”