Grenfell Tower fire survivors ‘frustrated and disheartened’ as police say charges unlikely before 2021

‘Vague reassurances are wearing thin, families need clear commitments to keep faith in this process,’ says chair of survivors’ group Grenfell United

The survivors and bereaved families of the Grenfell Tower fire have called for “urgent reassurances” from Theresa May after it emerged they will have to wait at least two years for any criminal charges to be brought.

Campaign group Grenfell United said it was “extremely frustrating and disheartening” that the Metropolitan Police was unlikely to submit a file to the Crown Prosecution Service before late in 2021.

Scotland Yard said in a statement its investigation – which is believed to be considering possible manslaughter charges – must take the final report of the public inquiry into account.

However the inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, has not yet confirmed a date or venue for the second stage of hearings, which will examine the causes of the disaster which killed 72 people. The first phase only sought to examine what happened on the night of the fire, 14 June 2017.

Natasha Elcock, chair of Grenfell United, said: “The week after a fire that killed our loved ones and neighbours Theresa May promised us justice. Justice for us means accountability and change. The police have said no charges will be brought until at least 2021. And we see little real change.

“We are living in a limbo with no individuals or organisations being held accountable and it is so painful for all of us who lost loved ones and our homes that night. We wait month after month, our lives on hold, for some kind of justice and progress.

“It is extremely frustrating and disheartening to now be told this will be our way of life for years to come.”

Ms Elcock, who lived in a flat on the 11th floor of Grenfell Tower, added survivors “know the truth about what happened to us”.

“We know the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower turned our homes into a death trap and we know that people, organisations and institutions that were meant to care for us didn’t and 72 people died,” she said. “And yet no one has been held accountable.”

The group now fear the bereaved families could “lose faith” in the inquiry process because of the wait for justice.

“We urgently need reassurances from government that justice and change will come,” said Ms Elcock. “It is now 21 months since the fire, thousands of people are still living in homes with dangerous cladding, people in social housing are still being mistreated by landlords and Grenfell families still wait for any kind of justice.

“We have to ask, will Theresa May be remembered as the prime minister that brought us justice and change or the prime minister that failed us?”

The officer leading the investigation into the fire, Detective Superintendent Matt Bonner, said it would be “wrong” not to take into account the findings of the inquiry.

“We have always said our investigation will be thorough, exploring all reasonable lines of inquiry and examining all the available evidence,” he said in a statement.

“While the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the police investigation are independent of each other, our timelines are inextricably linked.

“For our investigation to be considered thorough and complete, it must consider all relevant information and it would be wrong not to take into account evidence given to the public inquiry and its final report and findings.

“We are in regular contact with the bereaved families and survivors as well as the wider community, and have informed them of our projected timeline for the investigation.

“I know this is longer than some might have anticipated, but the police must ensure all the available evidence is considered before any file is submitted to the CPS.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the decision by the police was “not surprising” but added: “It will be distressing for many victims, many survivors.”