How cladding failed tests 13yrs before Grenfell fire

THE Government and industry knew of the dangers posed by cladding 13 years before the Grenfell Tower fire, leaked documents suggest.

Five cladding systems failed fire tests as early as 2004, including one similar to that used on the West London tower block.

The results were disclosed by the BBC last night.

Campaigners said the ‘staggering new evidence’ shows officials were ‘gambling with a disaster’.

Hundreds of thousands of flat owners face bills of up to £150,000 each because their homes are wrapped in unsafe cladding.

Expert Dr Jonathan Evans said the results could have been ‘vital’ in assessing fire risks after Grenfell, while the UK Cladding Action Group said the leaked documents showed ‘the Government and its advisers knew these materials were dangerous, but simply stood back and allowed them to be installed’.

It added: ‘The state knew from this moment on that it was gambling with a disaster in a highrise, but chose not to act.’

The Grenfell inquiry will next month examine what governments knew of the risks of cladding fires before the disaster.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the 2004 tests were not designed to check the ‘intrinsic safety of building materials’.

A spokesman added: ‘We are taking action to improve building safety through our Building Safety Bill... and a £5billion investment to remove unsafe cladding.’