Tenants reassured on safety

THE HIGHLAND Council has reassured its tenants their homes are safe following the fire at London’s Grenfell Tower.

The local authority owns a number of multi-storey properties but does not have any highrise buildings above five floors.

It said all council homes are fitted with hard-wired smoke detectors, but tenants are being advised to check regularly that theirs is working.

Caol and Mallaig councillor and chairman of the council’s places committee, Allan Henderson, said the thoughts of everyone at the council are with those affected by the London tragedy.

He said: ‘ We would like to reassure anyone in Highland who has concerns following this tragic incident.

‘ We are confident of the fire safety of our housing stock in relation to building standards and conditions, but will obviously consider the factors involved in the Grenfell Tower fire as details emerge on this and implement any fire safety recommendations for social landlords.’

General and specific fire safety information is available on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website.

The Highland Council is offering to help anyone who is having difficulty checking their smoke detector.

The council said tenants of flats should make sure there are no combustible items left in stairwells and that stairs are left unobstructed.

Local senior officer for Highland fire service John MacDonald added: ‘ We are here to support communities, most notably through our free home fire safety visits, where firefighters will provide safety advice and guidance on what to do in an emergency.’

To book a free home fire safety visit, call 0800 0731 999, text ‘FIRE’ to 80800 or visit www. firescotland.gov.uk.