Grenfell survivor 'was charged rent' for flat destroyed in blaze

A woman who survived the Grenfell Tower blaze has been charged rent - despite the fire-ravaged building being uninhabitable, a campaigner has said.

Yvette Williams, a coordinator for the Justice 4 Grenfell group, said the woman only found out when she was sent a new bank card and saw her statement.

"She came to me and said she had just got her bank card and that she went and looked at her bank statement and they had deducted rent for Grenfell Tower," she said.

"It is, you would think, a simple process (to fix) as it can be done on a computer.

"It is quite clear that whatever is supposed to be happening down there isn't happening - it is about what checks and balances are in place there. Of course she is distressed."

She said the woman had not raised her concerns with the council directly as she was still dealing with the aftermath of the fire, and having lost everything.

In response, Tory councillor for Kensington and Chelsea Catherine Faulks said she was "very sorry" to hear the claims.

"I can understand that's very distressing," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Asked why the council had not addressed such an "obvious" issue, she said:

The council later issued a statement, which said: "We are very sorry if this has happened and we are working to find out who has been affected so we can offer reassurance and an immediate refund.

"To the best of our knowledge the rent charges for Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk were stopped.

"But if anyone has had money inadvertently taken as part of a direct debit or standing order we will make arrangements to have it immediately refunded."