Police looking into manslaughter charges

Manslaughter charges are being considered by detectives investigating the Grenfell Tower fire as it emerged the structure had failed fire safety tests.

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Fiona Mccormack said a faulty fridge-freezer started the inferno, which has killed at least 79 people.

Cladding and insulation encasing the building did not pass any fire safety tests, she added, increasing concern the 24-storey block’s facade accelerated the blaze’s spread.

The revelation comes as a nationwide hunt for highrise buildings with flammable cladding continues, with thousands of people finding their homes were potentially dangerous.

By yesterday afternoon, the government said 14 buildings across nine local authority areas in England were found to have flammable cladding.

Ms Mccormack said a string of criminal offences were now being considered.

Documents and materials had been seized from a “number of organisations”, she added.

She said: “We are looking at every criminal offence from manslaughter onwards.”