Cladding investigated after fire at student flats

A “COMPLEX” investigation will consider whether cladding had a role in the spread of a fire that engulfed a block of student flats.

Managers of the Cube building, which housed more than 200 University of Bolton students, said the blaze began on the fourth floor and spread to the sixth.

The building did not have the same type of cladding involved in the Grenfell

Tower fire of 2017 and was fitted with high-pressure laminate coloured panels.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said a “complex” inquiry would consider what role, if any, the external wall materials played in the Bolton fire.

Valeo Urban Student Life, which manages the building for private owners, said it was working to rehouse students and “actively assisting the emergency services with their investigations… and is committed to help”.