Flammable cladding used on Grenfell Tower feared to be attached to hundreds of UK hospitals, schools and hotels as four more victims identified
THE flammable cladding thought to have accelerated the Grenfell Tower blaze was last night feared to be attached to hundreds of the UK’s public buildings.
Urgent checks for the composite panels have been ordered on hospitals, schools and hotels.
The NHS and Department for Education have ordered managers at all their properties to inspect and report back immediately.
Great Ormond Street children’s hospital in central London got the all-clear last night.
But 14 buildings across nine local authority areas in England were discovered to have flammable cladding.
Budget hotel chain Premier Inn has concerns over panels on some of its buildings after expert assessments.
And others including Travelodge, Holiday Inn, IHG and Hilton are performing safety tests.
It came as police revealed the cladding and insulation on Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, West London, failed fire safety tests and manslaughter charges may follow.
It is popular because it is cheap and conforms to regulations. But it goes up like a Roman candle
Fire expert and chartered surveyor Arnold Tarling told The Sun: “It could be anywhere — not just blocks of flats but hospitals, schools, shopping centres. Countless buildings.
“It is popular because it is cheap and conforms to regulations. But it goes up like a Roman candle.
“Experts like myself have been warning of its dangers for years, but government advisers have ignored us.
“It will probably take many years and many millions of pounds to completely eradicate this killer cladding from British buildings.”
NHS bosses wrote to hospital managers on Monday telling them to provide details of any cladding on buildings and respond the next day.
Simon Corben, director of estates and facilities, also asked for any planned or ongoing fire improvement schemes and details of completed fire risk assessments.
MOST READ IN NEWS
The letter said: “We need to take all reasonable precautionary measures and be ready to rapidly implement any recommendations that come from ongoing investigations.”
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has commissioned fire testing of cladding at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey.
A spokesman said: “Our records show this is not the same as that used to clad Grenfell Tower and importantly it is fire resistant.
“The results will be confirmed within the next two weeks.”
Network Rail, responsible for most of Britain’s railway stations, insisted none of its buildings were a fire risk.
A spokesman said: “We are not aware of any Grenfell Tower-type cladding on our stations.”
Premier Inn said it was concerned about cladding at its hotels in Maidenhead, Brentford and Tottenham — but the suspect material was not the same as used to clad the tower block where at least 79 people died on Wednesday last week.
A spokesman for the chain, the UK’s biggest with 750 hotels, said: “Although we have concerns the fire-retardant cladding used may not adhere to recognised government guidance, an independent fire expert has assured us these hotels are safe.”
A spokesman for Westfield — which runs shopping centres in Stratford, East London, and White City, West London — confirmed cladding at both sites was non-combustible.
Meanwhile, the hunt for high-rise flats with flammable cladding continued yesterday, with thousands finding their homes were potentially dangerous.
Families living in three Devon tower blocks discovered their buildings had the worst possible fire safety rating.
The aluminium-coated, polyethylene cladding on the Lynher, Tavy and Tamar high-rises in Plymouth is to go as soon as possible.
Experts have been warning of the dangers for years, but government advisers have ignored us
Two blocks in Portsmouth were also being stripped.
Cladding is to be removed from nine high-rises in Greater Manchester with safety checks due at a further 420 blocks.
Pendleton Together, which runs the flats on behalf of Salford City Council, recently carried out a £650million refurbishment of the 1,250 homes.
A council spokesman said: “It is a shame because the blocks are looking the best they have done for years.”
Four victims identified
FOUR more victims of the disaster have been formally identified, police said yesterday.
The identities of the three men and one woman are not being revealed “on request of the families”, Scotland Yard said.
It brings the total number of identified victims of the fire to nine, out of at least 79 people believed to have died.
The Met said the families have been informed and are being supported by specially trained liaison officers.
For more on this story - Penny Smith from 8am
On DAB, the talkRADIO app or
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368