Grenfell Tower to be covered

The charred remains of Grenfell Tower are to be covered up next month to help with forensic investigations in the aftermath of the blaze in which at least 80 people died, it has emerged.

A protective wrap will be put around the 24-storey tower block in Kensington, London. The news was announced by site manager Michael Lockwood during a public meeting at Notting Hill Methodist Church yesterday. He also said that he anticipated that demolition of the block would start “towards the end of 2018”.

In the meantime, the recovery operation in the Kensington tower block could last until November this year, according to Lockwood. There are some 33 flats in the block from which some possessions could be retrieved and returned to residents “in the next week or so,” he said.

The site manager added: “I think that to be honest, the building will stay up throughout 2018. Then towards the end of 2018, I think we could start to bring it down, if that is what the community wants, and the scaffolding will help us to do that because we can do that within the wrap.”

He assured residents that the local community will be involved in any decision on what happens to the site after the building has been demolished.