By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-30 10:31:10 | Updated at 2026-09-30 11:25:45
1 hour ago
Detectives investigating the Grenfell fire have passed evidence files to prosecutors, the Metropolitan Police said.
The 20 files relate to 20 companies and organisations, as well as 54 individuals.
They ask the CPS to consider charges including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and fraud-related offences and misconduct in public office.
The blaze in June 2017 in North Kensington, west London, claimed the lives of 72 people, injured over 70 people, and completely destroyed 151 homes.
A public inquiry later found the tragedy to have been avoidable.
The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will make charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the disaster, which falls on June 14 2027.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth described the development as a "milestone moment in the police investigation into this devastating tragedy which took the lives of 72 people."
He said: "Our dedicated team of 220 investigators has worked incredibly hard to honour our commitment to the bereaved, survivors, residents and all those affected by the fire to meet this timescale."
The Deputy Assistant Commissioner added: "We appreciate, of course, it has taken nine years to get to this point.
"As we have said before, this is one of the most complex investigations ever undertaken by any UK law enforcement agency - the scale is truly enormous.
"While we know this has had a significant impact on those waiting for answers, it has necessarily taken this long to ensure our investigation is meticulous and presents the very best possible evidence to the CPS for charging decisions."
The Met Police say they are working with criminal justice partners on the next stages to ensure the Grenfell families and survivors are supported as well as possible.
This examination covered the roles of more than 15,000 individuals and 700 organisations involved in the Grenfell Tower fire.
Evidence gathering and analysis then identified 54 people and 20 organisations as suspects in the criminal offences referred to the CPS today.
In addition to the 20 files, the submission to the CPS includes 14 overarching evidence files.
The word count of the Met’s summary reports to the CPS alone exceeds four million words across more than 12,600 pages, referencing more than 45,000 documents, images and exhibits.
The police response to the fire began with a recovery operation to find, recover and identify all those who died.
Police searched every flat and communal area and conducted a full forensic fingertip search, with police officers and forensic experts examining approximately 15 tonnes of debris on each floor.
Grenfell Tower was held by police as a crime scene for 14 months.
During the police investigation, investigators gathered 165 million electronic files to search for evidence, and a total of 14,700 statements have been taken.
The fire is considered the UK's worst residential fire since World War II.
It began as an electrical fault in a refrigerator-freezer on the fourth floor.
The fire spread uncontrollably up the exterior of the 24-storey building, reaching the roof within 30 minutes.
This rapid propagation was fueled by highly combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding and plastic insulation installed during a recent refurbishment.
