Lack of help for disabled at Grenfell ‘did not break rules’

LEAVING disabled and vulnerable residents to make their own way out of the blazing Grenfell Tower did not break building rules, a leading fire safety expert told the official inquiry yesterday.

Dr Barbara Lane said there was no statutory regulation to provide help to evacuate those who “require assistance” as they relied solely on the controversial “stay put” strategy.

Dr Lane told the inquiry there was no statutory provision required for residential buildings, unlike other building types, to provide equipment for those needing help, to contact building management or to communicate directly with the fire service. She said: “I consider the building’s stay-put strategy to have failed at 1.26am and that all events after that time occurred in the context of the total loss of the only safety condition provided for.”