EXCLUSIVE: 9 Salford tower blocks to be stripped of cladding after failing fire safety tests

Urgent safety checks have been taking place on high-rise buildings across the country since the fire at Grenfell Tower in London Credit: PA

By Matt O'Donoghue, Correspondent

Nine tower blocks in Salford will be completely stripped of their cladding after failing fire safety tests.

Granada Reports has learned it could cost taxpayers "tens of millions of pounds" to remove the outside panels and will take "several months" to complete.

Urgent safety checks have been taking place on high-rise buildings across the country following the fire at Grenfell Tower in London, which killed at least 80 people.

Salford Council were the first local authorities to begin stripping off their aluminium composite panel system following the disaster.

Government guidance had halted the tower block strip of blocks in Salford while further tests were carried out.

Deputy Mayor John Merry told Granada Reports the council was now testing a new cladding system for towers in labs in Dubai that "should be ready for us to say it is safe by August."

The office of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed the cladding panels on 71 of Greater Manchester's 491 high rise towers over six stories has now failed safety tests.