Retired judge leading Grenfell fire public inquiry raises doubts about its scope after meeting survivors

  • Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Paul Brand

The retired judge chosen to lead the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster has said he is "doubtful" it will be as wide-ranging as some residents hope.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick said he understands "the desire of local people for justice" after meeting survivors and others affected by the devastating west London fire.

He promised to lead "a vigorous inquiry that gets to the truth as quickly as possible" and expects to deliver initial findings within a year.

The 70-year-old's appointment on Thursday was criticised by resident group Justice 4 Grenfell, who said they were not consulted on it and will now raise their concerns at the highest level.

Sir Martin, who once sat in the Court of Appeal - the second most senior court in England and Wales, said he understood why residents would want a wider-ranging inquiry as he outlined his priorities for his investigation.

He hoped to cover how the fire started, how it spread, how it was able to engulf the building in such speed, question what internal precautions there were, and what steps were available for alerting residents and allowing them to escape.

After meeting with survivors of the fire, Sir Martin said: "I've been asked to undertake this inquiry on the basis that it would be pretty well limited to the problems surrounding the start of the fire and its rapid development in order to make recommendations about how this sort of thing can be prevented in future.

"I'm well aware the residents and the local people want a much broader investigation and I can fully understand why they would want that - whether my inquiry is the right way in which to achieve that I'm more doubtful."

A six-month-old baby who was found dead in her mother's arms is among the latest victims to be identified after the June 14 blaze.

The body of Leena Belkadi was discovered still in her mother Farah's arms.

The fire death toll is estimated at around 80 though police said the true number won't be known until the end of the year.

Following his meeting with survivors, Sir Martin said they had his "greatest sympathy", adding: "It's an enormous tragedy, and I can honestly say I've never seen anything like that building.

"It is now completely gutted so that you can see through it in many places.

"It's very difficult, even after having heard from some of the former residents, to understand what a terrifying experience it must have been to find yourself in that building without any obvious means of escape as the smoke started to rise.

Survivors and those affected by the fire will be given state funding for legal representation at his inquiry. Credit: PA

"I'm absolutely determined that this inquiry will be open and full and will cover all the ground so that we reach conclusions that are reliable and can prevent anything like this from happening again."

The legal adviser for resident group Justice 4 Grenfell criticised the way in which Sir Martin had been appointed.

Michael Mansfield QC said it was "unbelievable" lessons haven't been learned from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which is now on its fourth chairman.

The death toll from the blaze now stands at around 80. Credit: PA

He said that inquiry "did not consult with the families and the survivors" and the "same thing seems to happened all over again" with Grenfell.

Survivors and those affected by the fire will be given state funding for legal representation at the inquiry.

Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated Grenfell residents will be given a say over the direction of the investigation.

Theresa May said that a public inquiry into the disaster was needed. Credit: PA

She said "no stone will be left unturned" by the public inquiry adding: "I am determined that there will be justice for all the victims of this terrible tragedy and for their families who have suffered so terribly."

On Thursday the funeral of great-grandfather Tony Disson - who died in the fire - took place in west London.

The coffin of the "one-in-a-million" 65-year-old was pulled in a horse-drawn carriage to the service.

And as the criminal investigation continues, 60 organisations have been identified as playing a part in the tower's refurbishment - suspected of having helped the blaze spread.

By midday on Wednesday 137 tower blocks across 41 local authority areas had flammable cladding on their exterior.

In 64 of these blocks there was no confirmation residents had been informed of the outcome.

Meanwhile the National Housing Federation has called on the Government to stop the testing and instead focus on making people safe.

Chief executive David Orr said: "These tests were the right thing to do, but the results are now conclusive: Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding simply does not pass these tests and is deemed unsafe.

"Across the country, valuable resources - from specialist equipment to expert time - are being poured into a testing process of which the results are already known."

He also spoke of the testing process revealing a "systematic failure" around the development, manufacture and regulation of cladding.