Urgent fire safety work is to take place on four of the five towers

Hundreds of residents of four London tower blocks have spent the night in emergency accommodation after they were told to leave their homes amid fire safety fears.

The blocks in Camden, north London, containing up to 800 households, were evacuated late last night following news that similar cladding was used on the Chalcots Estate to that which spread the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington earlier this month.

Council leader Georgia Gould said that, following checks, insulation was found to be safe but external cladding on the blocks "was not up to the standard that we wanted and was not fire retardant".

Image: Four blocks are being evacuated for urgent fire safety work

She added that the "really, really difficult decision" had been made to evacuate the blocks while urgent fire safety work is completed.

It is thought the work will take three to four weeks.

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"We realise that this is hugely distressing for everyone affected and we will be doing all we can, alongside the London Fire Brigade and other authorities, to support our residents at this difficult time," Ms Gould said.

"The Grenfell fire changes everything - we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe."

Ms Gould added: "I know this is difficult but...I don't believe we can take any risks with our residents' safety and I have to put them first.

"We know it's a scary time but we'll make sure they're safe."

Image: Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre and Library has been set up as a rest centre

Responding to mounting criticism over Camden's handling of the evacuation, Sajid Javid, the Communities and Local Government minister told Sky News: "After the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it is vital we carry out checks and make sure people are safe.

"The the local fire safety authority found alongside the cladding problem, which is a serious problem, multiple fire safety failures, including, for example, insulation of gas pipes, fire doors missing, plywood above doors and that's what makes Camden different and why the decision was made to evacuate."

Asked why non-cladding fire risks had not been picked up in previous checks, Mr Javid said: "I ask myself that question. These are multiple fire safety check failures. These are things ... that have nothing to do with the cladding, such as fire doors not being there, auto door closers not being there ... you even had with these towers situations where some of the internal walls were breached.

"You've asked a very good question as to why did this happen in the first place. Why, how could this building have passed fire safety checks? How could it have been given the green light when clearly there were breaches of the fire safety code?"

Mr Javid said there would have to be a long-term review of safety regulations, stating: "That has to happen. In a country like ours, one of the richest countries in the world, in the 21st century, these kind of things absolutely should not be happening."



:: NHS told to check cladding on all buildings

Council leader: No risks over residents' safety

By the early hours of Saturday many residents had been sent to a rest centre at Swiss Cottage Library before council workers allocate them accommodation in hotels or, if possible, with family and friends.

Around 83 people have refused to leave their homes, according to the council.

In a statement issued at 1.24am, a spokesman for Camden Council said: "So far we have secured hundreds of hotel beds for Chalcots residents.

"We're encouraging all residents to stay with friends and family if they can, otherwise we'll provide accommodation.

Image: Inside the refuge centre at Swiss Cottage

"Swiss Cottage rest centre is nearing capacity so we've secured more space at the Camden Centre King's Cross.

"Specialist staff are on the ground to assist residents with care needs. Pets are also welcome at both rest centres and hotel accommodation."

The Chalcots estate has five tower blocks - four 22 storey blocks and one 18 storey block. Blashford Tower, which is the shorter block, did not have to be evacuated as initially stated.

Image: Residents leaving Taplow Tower on Chalcots Estate

Taplow resident Shirley Phillips said she had no sleep on Friday night after she was unable to secure a place in a hotel.

She told Sky News: "They called me a few hours ago and said they had a hotel for me at the Holiday Inn in Camden Town. But when I got there they said there had been a mistake, someone else had taken the room.

"They say the earliest they can get me somewhere is tonight, but it's not 100%."

Other residents said the evacuation was an "over-reaction".

Edward Strange said: "We've had two fires here since the cladding was put on and both fires didn't spread so I don't see what the problem is.

"It's a complete over-reaction, it's ridiculous."

:: Where has unsafe cladding been identified?

Image: 79 people are dead or missing presumed dead after the Grenfell Tower fire

Bob O'Toole from the residents' association said he had only been told about the evacuation about an hour earlier, adding: "We want to keep the residents safe - we don't want any more disasters".

Fire safety expert Stephen MacKenzie told Sky News: "I think (the council has) done the sensible thing in this case.

"I'm at a loss as to why Theresa May has not convened (emergency committee) Cobra today to get emergency arrangements led by central government to support local authorities, to give the residents the necessary reassurance and address this issue."

PM: My thoughts are with residents being evacuated in Camden while their homes are made safe tonight. — UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) June 23, 2017

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "London Fire Brigade have been working at the Chalcots Estate with Camden Council. Following extensive joint visits and inspections the Brigade advised that there were a number of fire safety issues in the buildings and recommended that residents should not remain in the buildings until these issues are resolved.

"Camden Council have acted on this by evacuating and providing the residents with alternative accommodation so that remedial works can go ahead as quickly as possible.

"London Fire Brigade officers will continue to work with Camden to put in place measures to improve safety for residents in these buildings."</s>Cladding samples from 27 high-rise buildings in 15 local authorities have failed safety tests in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The Department for Communities and Local Government’s announcement comes amid a national safety operation to identify buildings with cladding like that used on the tower block in north Kensington.

Portsmouth and Brent were named along with Camden, Manchester, Plymouth and Hounslow as local authorities with buildings that failed tests.

Here’s what you need to know about why cladding could pose a threat to those inside these buildings.

What material was used on the exterior of Grenfell Tower?

During a recent refurbishment, new rain-proof cladding was put up around the tower as well as insulation.

A document submitted in a 2014 planning application linked to the work said the exterior panels were made from “Reynobond/Reynolux”.

These panels, made by US firm Arconic, consist of Reynolux-coated aluminium sheets over a Reynobond polyethylene core.

Celotex supplied its RS5000 insulation for the £8.6 million renovation.

Although it has not been officially established what caused the fire to spread so quickly, it appears the material was not fire-proof.

On Friday, police said tests carried out as part of their investigation found the cladding and the insulation “don’t pass any safety tests”.

What issues could have been caused by the cladding?

The polyethylene, or plastic, core of the cladding is believed to be a cheaper, more flammable version of the Reynobond panels known as PE.

As reports about suspect cladding began to emerge on Thursday, it was suggested aluminium cladding with a polyethylene core scored low on a fire safety scale.

Plymouth Community Homes said of Mount Wise Tower, an at-risk high-rise: “It has been found to be aluminium coated with a polyethylene core, which has been rated as category 3 under the new controlled test conditions.

“The fire rating scale goes from 0 to 3 (with 0 being the highest safety score and 3 being the lowest).”

What about the insulation?

RS5000 insulation has a class 0 rating under UK building regulations, meaning it has the highest rating for preventing the spread of flames and prevents the spread of heat, according to its manufacturer.

However, Celotex said it “will burn if exposed to a fire of sufficient heat and intensity”, meaning it is not entirely fire-proof.

Could the two have jointly aided the spread of the fire?

Experts suggested the rain-proof frontage can create a cavity between the cladding and the insulation, which could serve as a wind tunnel and trap the flames inside.

Design specifications suggest the renovation work included a 50mm “ventilated cavity” next to 150mm of Celotex FR5000 insulation.

Will fire-proof insulation be enough to mitigate the dangers of flammable cladding?

Several towers found to have aluminium composite material (ACM) have headed off concern by saying highly non-combustible insulation is also installed.

According to CEP Architectural Facades, which cut to shape two components in Grenfell Tower’s cladding system but did not design or install it, Reynobond PE can be safe with fire-proof insulation.

It said in a statement: “Investigators have identified the role of the insulation material in Grenfell Tower. We assume they will want to understand why a class 0 fire spread rainscreen panel material and a class 0 insulation material were specified together.

“Individually, these materials can be integrated into a safe cladding system but certainly we recommend that in high-rise buildings class 0 rainscreen panels should only be used in conjunction with a non-combustible insulation material such as mineral fibre.”

What is the Government trying to crack down on in response to the Grenfell fire?

Councils are sending in samples of ACM cladding used on their high-rise blocks to see if they are dangerous.

Those with the polyethylene cores will be labelled a fire risk and councils are expected to remove them.

What about those living in private towers?

Downing Street said the testing facility being used to check council and housing association tower blocks is also available to the owners of private blocks who are being encouraged to use it</s>Some 34 high-rise buildings in 17 local authorities across the country have failed fire cladding safety tests after the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Government has said.

The announcement came as around 3,000 residents of the Chalcots Estate in Camden, north London, face weeks in temporary accommodation after four tower blocks were evacuated.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said testing of potentially combustible cladding "is running around the clock".

"So far the cladding from 34 high-rise buildings, in 17 local authority areas, has failed the combustibility test," he added.

Manchester, Camden, Plymouth, Hounslow, Portsmouth, Barnet and Brent were named by Mr Javid as having buildings that had failed tests.

He stressed "cladding itself is not dangerous" and that a failure in testing does not necessarily mean a building will be evacuated.

"The decision by Camden Council to evacuate four of the five towers on the Chalcots Estate was because the failed testing of the external cladding was compounded by multiple other fire safety failures which the fire inspection team found within the buildings," he said.

Mr Javid praised the "calm and stoicism" residents showed when asked to leave their homes at short notice on Friday, in what he called a "distressing experience".

Camden Council leader Georgia Gould said the authority took the "extraordinary action" to clear 600 flats because "we are really clear that those four blocks are not safe".

London Fire Brigade inspecting officers identified concerns over the combination of external cladding, fire doors, gas pipes and insulation, she added.

Despite being urged to leave by officials, around 20 households had refused to vacate their homes, in Taplow, Burnham, Bray and Dorney, by Saturday evening.

Ms Gould said: "There are various legal routes that Camden Council could explore to require people to leave their homes, however, we really don't want to do this."

The council said it could take two to four weeks for the four blocks to be made safe.

Mother-of-six Najmon Adam, who has lived in Bray for 12 years, said she would remain in her property until the council found accommodation in the borough for her family.

The 36-year-old, whose children are aged between five and 15, told the Press Association: "I have a little one who is sick, she has diabetes, she needs insulin, and I can't take her to the leisure centre.

"The schools are just here, I have to go to the school, get her packed lunch ready and take her the insulin.

"How am I going to do that if I am somewhere far?"

Ms Gould committed £100,000 of council funds to pay for food and essential items displaced residents may need, with the council having spent £500,000 on hotel rooms for residents.

Work had been due to begin on stripping cladding from buildings on the Chalcots Estate, but Camden Council ordered the "decant" of residents on Friday evening.

More than 100 people stayed in Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre overnight, while the council promised to reimburse those who had paid for their own hotels.

Refurbishment of the Chalcots Estate was overseen by Rydon, the company involved in the refit of Grenfell Tower, according to the Rydon website.

The site said the Chalcots project was a £66 million refurbishment which lasted 191 weeks.

The work included external thermal rain screen cladding on five towers, new aluminium thermally broken windows on five towers, and an overhaul of external roofs.

It added that 711 flats were modernised with new wiring, heating, kitchens and bathrooms.</s>The announcement came as around 3,000 residents of the Chalcots Estate in Camden, north London, face weeks in temporary accommodation after four tower blocks were evacuated. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said testing of potentially combustible cladding "is running around the clock". He said: "So far the cladding from 34 high-rise buildings, in 17 local authority areas, has failed the combustibility test.”

Camden Council have become the first authority to evacuate residents over fire safety concerns and have asked those living in four high-rise buildings to leave. Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the “necessary” steps will be taken to find people accommodation. Work began in Teeside today as the cladding on a tower block in Billingham failed the tests.

Mrs May said: "We are making sure that the authority has the ability to do what is necessary to ensure people have somewhere to stay and that the work is done so that those tower blocks will become safe for them to return to in future."

So far, Portsmouth, Brent, Camden, Manchester, Plymouth and Hounslow have been named as local authorities with buildings that failed tests. Mr Javid has said that safety measures have been put in place for all affected buildings. The Communities Secretary praised the “calm and stoicism” residents showed when asked to leave their homes at short notice on Friday, in what he called a “distressing experience”

A statement from the Local Government Association said: “Where cladding fails the test, this will not necessarily mean moving residents from tower blocks. In Camden, the decision to evacuate was based on fire inspectors’ concerns about a combination of other fire hazards together with the cladding. “Working with fire service experts to assess risks, a number of councils have already introduced other fire safety measures in buildings, such as 24-hour a day warden patrols, when advice from the fire service is clear that this will mitigate against fire risks ahead of the removal of cladding.”</s>Cladding on the side of five tower blocks in Camden will be urgently removed after tests revealed that it contains a similar flammable plastic to the material used on Grenfell Tower.

After last week's devastating fire at the tower block in west London, the government launched an investigation into cladding on tower blocks in the UK and discovered that over 600 buildings face a fire risk.

Camden council said it would immediately remove the cladding from the high rise Chalcots estate following concerns that it was combustible.

The construction firm and subcontractor responsible for refurbishing the Grenfell Tower, Rydon and Harley Facades, carried out a £150m overhaul on the apartments in Chalcots estate in 2016.

Georgia Gould, leader of Camden Council, told the Camden New Journal that tests had shown that the outer cladding panels on five tower blocks in the estate were made of aluminium panels with a polyethylene core.

She added that while the towers' insulation met all the necessary safety requirements as it was made of fire-resistant rock wool, "the external cladding panels did not satisfy independent laboratory testing or the high standards [the council] set for contractors."

"Camden Council has decided it will immediately begin preparing to remove these external cladding panels from the five tower blocks on the Chalcots estate," Gould said.

Until the panels have been removed, Camden council will carry out 24/7 fire safety patrols on the estate's corridors to reassure residents living there.

Ray Bailey, the managing director of Harley Facades, said that the cladding panels used on the tower blocks in Camden were Reynobond, the same as those used in Grenfell Tower. Bailey said that Camden council had signed off on the design specification.

"There is no evidence to suggest that this product and cladding system installed in Camden is unsafe. Currently there is no link between the cladding and the spread of the fire at Grenfell Tower," he said. "It is right that questions are asked and there will be many questions about this whole tragic incident."

At least 79 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire. Many people are still unaccounted for.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the devastating incident as both a "tragedy and an outrage" and said Grenfell Tower residents were "let down - both in the immediate aftermath and so cruelly beforehand."

The survivors have received over £700,000 in compensation and been moved to 68 luxury flats in Kensington.</s>At least 25 tower blocks have the same tinder-box cladding that helped engulf Grenfall Tower in 15 minutes, it was revealed today.

Thousands of residents are living in blocks in London, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth encased in panels blamed for the devastating blaze that claimed the lives of at least 79 people last week.

Theresa May has said they will not be forced to stay in 'unsafe homes' but with councils facing what could be one of Britain's biggest peacetime evacuations they have so far told residents they will not be rehoused.

Today Premier Inn admitted it has 'serious concerns' about cladding on three hotels - including one in Mrs May's Maidenhead constituency.

Up to 30,000 buildings including more hotels, hospitals, GP surgeries, student flats and office blocks will also have to be tested to see if they are also 'combustible'.

The increasing safety concerns for all high-rise British buildings has reached a watershed since the devastating blaze at Grenfell, whose cladding and insulation failed all safety tests, police said today.

Scotland Yard has confirmed it has launched a manslaughter inquiry, which will see Kensington and Council Council and the contractors who refurbished the block for £8.6million last year.

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack documents and materials had been seized from a 'number of organisations'.

She said: 'We are looking at every criminal offence from manslaughter onwards. We are looking at every health and safety and fire safety offences and we are reviewing every company at the moment involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower'.

The forensic search of Grenfell is not likely to be completed until the end of the year - but she said there are 'no hidden victims'.

Commenting on the investigation into the blaze, DSI McCormack said: 'What we are being told at the moment by the Building Research Establishment is that the cladding and insulation failed all safety tests.'

Describing how the investigation was proceeding, DSI McCormack added: 'We have been in Grenfell Tower, from top to bottom, last week.

'Next week we will be installing a lift to the outside of the building to assist. But our forensic search may not be complete until the end of the year.'

As part of the investigation, teams listened to some 600 distressed 999 calls with 'terribly harrowing content' - suggesting that some operators may have kept talking to victims until their deaths.

DSI McCormack added: 'Every complete body has been removed from the building. What we are dealing with now, as you can imagine in the intense heat, is a very distressing scene.

'What we haven't got is a picture of how many people might have been in there. That's the number in really worried about, that there might have been other innocent people in there.'

With Britain facing its biggest housing safety scare for decades, it has emerged:
• None At least 14 buildings across eight local authority areas in England have been found to have flammable cladding, But at least 25 are believed to have aluminium composite cladding, like that which was fixed to Grenfell. 600 are being tested at a rate of 100 per day
• None Police say there are 'no hidden victims' inside Grenfell - but not all the bodies of the 79 have been removed
• None Hotel chain Premier Inn said it has 'concerns' that cladding used on some of its buildings may not meet safety regulations, particularly hotels in Maidenhead, Brentford and Tottenham.
• None The Charity Commission announced an initial £20,000 will be given to the families of each person who has died or is declared missing presumed dead, from the money raised from numerous appeals.
• None It was confirmed a total of 151 homes were destroyed in the blaze, including 129 in the tower itself and 22 from nearby Grenfell Walk.
• None 363 households have been placed in hotel accommodation in or as near to the Royal Borough as possible, 213 of which are from the cordon area which surrounds the tower.

Thousands of people who own a model of fridge-freezer which started the Grenfell Tower blaze are being urged to contact Hotpoint as the number of buildings found to be covered in potentially flammable cladding continues to rise.

The government ordered an urgent investigation into Hotpoint's FF175BP after police revealed it was the model which started the blaze which killed at least 79 people in west London.

Hotpoint's FF175BP model had not been subject to any product recall, but will now be examined by safety experts as part of a government-ordered review.

Consumer group Which? says the machines should be recalled to tackle the concerns of the hundreds of terrified families who may still have one.

Scotland Yard said today it will consider 'every criminal offence from manslaughter onwards' and have seized documents and materials from a 'number of organisations'.

Towers in Camden, Manchester and Plymouth are among the at-risk buildings, Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid said in a letter to MPs yesterday.

It has since emerged that blocks in Portsmouth and the London boroughs of Brent, Islington and Hounslow are also a risk.

Islington Council today said cladding was to be removed from its Braithwaite House, one of eight blocks tested, after it was found to have aluminium composite material.

Test results from the other blocks, Harvist Estate and Brunswick Estate, are yet to be returned, a spokesman said.

Councillor Diarmaid Ward said: 'Last night we received results of tests on cladding on the side of Braithwaite House, and they have confirmed the presence of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

'We're arranging to have the cladding, which is only on the sides of the building, removed as soon as we possibly can by a specialist contractor.'

Work is also being carried out to strip material from a residential block in the Village 135 development in Wythenshawe, Manchester after concerns were raised about the cladding.

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG), which runs the block, said it was taking no chances and work to remove the material began yesterday afternoon.

In a statement WCHG said: 'Following the tragic events from the Grenfell Fire, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, working with the Greater Manchester Fire service, has conducted a comprehensive review of all ten tower blocks within Wythenshawe.

'We can confirm following early fire safety actions taken we have been able to detect that our Village 135 scheme has been identified as having 78 feature panels which are located in a small area of the overall development, works to remove these panels will commence today.'

Cladding at two high-rise buildings in Portsmouth - Horatia House and Leamington House - is being removed as a precaution after tests revealed a fire risk, Portsmouth City Council said.

Letters were being sent to residents living in the two blocks explaining the measures being taken. The city council's deputy leader Luke Stubbs said no other blocks were affected.

Mr Stubbs said: 'Like all councils, we have been working with the Government and fire service to review our buildings.

'As a precaution we submitted some cladding for testing and the results that came back said the cladding on Horatia House and Leamington House was a fire risk.

'As a result we are removing the cladding from those buildings. Protection of Portsmouth's residents is our number one priority and we will not comprise on safety standards.

'We will be removing the cladding as quickly as we can. In the meantime, we would like to reassure residents we have conducted a full assessment of the buildings, with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, and the buildings are safe to stay in with all of the existing safety measures still in place.'

In every fire that has broken out in city council tower blocks in the past few years, the blaze has been contained within the property where the fire broke out, he added.

Mr Stubbs went on: 'As an extra precaution council staff will be present in the two buildings 24 hours a day, for as long as necessary.'

Three high-rise tower blocks in Plymouth, Devon, have also been found to be clad in the same combustible material to the Grenfell Tower in London.

Occupants of the 16-storey Lynher, Tamar and Tavy buildings in Devonport, Plymouth were told of the potential fire risk to their buildings. The towers will now be monitored round the clock by security teams.

Other councils across the UK have been ordered to provide samples of the cladding used on high-rises by Monday and these will be tested at a rate of 100 per day.

Barnet Council has warned that inspectors have found that three of its blocks have similar metal panels as the ill-fated Grenfell Tower, but say they are not combustible.

Residents at the 22-storey River Apartments in Tottenham, north London, have been sent an email saying the building has the same cladding as Grenfell Tower, it has emerged. The building is now being tested.

Meanwhile, Salford City Council has confirmed that nine of its tower blocks have cladding that is similar to the material used on Grenfell Tower.

Aluminium composite material is used on the recently refurbished buildings in Pendleton, with tests currently being carried out to check whether it is combustible.

Camden Council has already begun removing cladding from five towers of up to 23-storeys on its giant Chalcot Estate over fears they are potentially dangerous.

But residents in the 721 flats will not be moved and fire wardens will be put there 24 hours a day to reassure locals and help in the event of a blaze.

The north London council looks set to sue contractor Rydon, who also carried out the Grenfell work, claiming 'the panels that were fitted were not to the standard that we had commissioned'.

Councils across Britain race to test their tower cladding Burnham residential tower on the Chalcots Estate, Camden, where cladding is being removed The council is due to urgently remove cladding from five tower blocks on Chalcots Estate. The cladding was tested this week and, although different to that used in Grenfell, was found to be made up of 'aluminium panels with a polyethylene core'. The council has since said it will seek legal advice and accused contractors of fitting flammable materials below the commissioned standard. It also pledged round-the-clock fire safety patrols on the estate's corridors. Three high-rise tower blocks in Devon have been found to be clad in the same combustible material to the Grenfell Tower in London. Occupants of the 16-storey Lynher, Tamar and Tavy buildings in Plymouth were told of the potential fire risk to their buildings yesterday (Wed). Fire precautions at the buildings were checked urgently and the towers will now be monitored round the clock by security teams. Wythenshawe Community Housing Group said 78 panels were being removed from a small area of the Village 135 development. Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) said: 'We can confirm following early fire safety actions taken we have been able to detect that our Village 135 scheme has been identified as having 78 feature panels which are located in a small area of the overall development, works to remove these panels will commence today.' Islington Council said cladding was to be removed from Braithwaite House, one of eight blocks tested, after it was found to have aluminium composite material. Test results from the other blocks, Harvist Estate and Brunswick Estate, are yet to be returned, a spokesman said. Councillor Diarmaid Ward said: 'Last night we received results of tests on cladding on the side of Braithwaite House, and they have confirmed the presence of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM). 'We're arranging to have the cladding, which is only on the sides of the building, removed as soon as we possibly can by a specialist contractor. Cladding at two high-rise buildings in Portsmouth - Horatia House and Leamington House - is being removed as a precaution after tests revealed a fire risk, Portsmouth City Council said. Letters were being sent to residents living in the two blocks explaining the measures being taken. The city council's deputy leader Luke Stubbs said no other blocks were affected. Cladding at a tower in Clements Court, Hounslow, failed the fire-safety test and will be removed 'as soon as possible', the borough's council said. Leader of Hounslow Council Steve Curran said in a statement: 'We were informed late last night by the DCLG that the sample of the outer 'Aluminium Composite Material' (ACM) cladding used on Clements Court tower has failed the Building Research Establishment combustion test. A fire watch patrol will be set up by the authority and safety tests will be carried out on homes, he added. Brent North MP Barry Gardiner has said that the local council's chief excutive has informed him that Elizabeth House in Wembley has 'failed' a fire safety test, according the Evening Standard Barnet Homes, the council-owned company which runs 24 high-rise blocks in the borough, is reviewing safety in 10 blocks. Three blocks - Granville Point, Harpenmead Point and Templemead point - were reclad in 2012 and have similar panels to Grenfell Tower. They were inspected on Monday and the insulation materials were found to be non-combustible. The other seven blocks have different cladding to Grenfell but are being inspected as a 'precautionary' measure, the council said. Tests are being carried out on the cladding at Durham House, in the city centre, to see if it is a fire risk. Following the Grenfell disaster, it is understood a review of 33 Housing Executive high rise buildings and 19 owned by housing associations, was carried out. One of those buildings, Durham House - which is made up of one and two bedroom flats - has been found to have similar cladding to that on Grenfell Tower. Tests on the cladding will determine if it is a security risk. Radius Housing Association, which owns Durham House said the safety and well being of their residents "is of paramount importance". Three of the borough's 88 tall buildings have so-called ACM cladding which could be a fire risk. The cladding on these three buildings is now being tested. A spokesman for the council said: 'Once the results are known, we will take whatever action is necessary to ensure our residents are safe. Rivers Apartments in Tottenham, north London, where a review is being carried out of the cladding 'We have already written to tenants and leaseholders in the three blocks explaining what is going on and will keep them informed of all developments.' The London Borough of Haringey owns 54 blocks over six storeys high. None of our blocks have the Reynobond aluminium cladding system that was used on Grenfell Tower. Rivers Apartments, a 22-storey block owned by a Housing Association, is being tested over fears it has the same cladding as Grenfell Tower. The council has eight blocks in its borough - the highest of which is 16 storeys - and has pledged to undergo a 'comprehensive review of fire safety'. Two blocks have cladding but using different materials than what was used in Grenfell. Harley Facades, who refurbished Grenfell Tower, supplied the over-cladding at six tower blocks on the Little Venice estate, but the type of cladding used is different, with non-flammable insulation. As a precaution, urgent checks are being carried out on the cladding system and the way it was installed. The local authority has visited all 41 of its tower blocks to review their fire evacuation plans. The council has no tower blocks which are higher than 14 storeys. Inspections are being carried out on the other blocks they have in the borough. The council says nine of its tower blocks have cladding that is similar to the material used on Grenfell Tower. Tests are being carried out to check whether it is combustible. Harold Lambert Court in the Park Hill area of the city is being checked by the management firm, Together Housing, with cladding samples sent off for analysis. Three blocks in Lower Mixenden, a village outside Halifax, are being checked by independent contractors. Together Housing, which manages the properties, Jumples Court, Mixenden Court and Wheatley Court, say they are submitting samples of the cladding but an initial visual inspection suggests it is not the same type as that used on the Grenfell Tower. There are four blocks in the borough which have cladding, but the council said it is not the same type as used on Grenfell Tower. 16 cladded blocks have been found not to have been clad with the same materials as Grenfell Tower. However, they are being tested as a precaution. The council said that none of the 105 high-rise buildings in Greenwich are clad in the same way as Grenfell Tower. Grenfell's fire has led to councils across the UK testing if their cladding is dangerous The council owns three tower blocks which have cladding, but the materials used are different to Grenfell Tower. The council has two 15-storey blocks which have both been recently over-clad with fire resistant cladding. There are three blocks in the borough with cladding. The council is carrying out tests but officers are confident they are safe. Cladding different but 'capping' under windowsills is the same, so they are being checked and tests urgently taken. Statement from St Leger Homes: 'The cladding system we have used in Doncaster is an External Wall Insulation (EWI) Render System which is not the same as was used at Grenfell Tower. The core cladding system we have used is different to that used in Grenfell Tower. 'However, we are aware that a small capping detail under the windows of Silverwood House is similar to that used on Grenfell Tower. Whilst this minor capping work (not the window frames or external cladding) is a different make and supplier to that used in London, we are seeking expert advice and ensuring that extensive further testing is urgently undertaken.' Your Homes Newcastle, which manages 38 high rise blocks on behalf of the Newcastle City Council, has reassured tenants that the type of cladding used on the Grenfell Tower has not been used on any of its buildings. The council said it is still reviewing building regulation records for existing high rise residential buildings over 18m in height. They said the priority was 'to identify buildings which have been retrofitted with external cladding and to check if the cladding specified is 'aluminium composite material'.' The council said there are 22 blocks with cladding but none are made from flammable material They have 13 blocks, none of which use aluminium cladding Council said it is still investigating whether privately owned properties have the cladding – the council does not have any housing stock itself There is only one block, but it has no external cladding There is only one council block, owned by social housing provide 13. Investigations are taking place to see what the situation is with the cladding None of the 2 high rise blocks – managed by company WDH - are clad with the aluminium panels. Statement said: 'Only five have had external wall insulation, which is not a cosmetic treatment and is fixed directly to the super structure, rendered with no air gap, is non-combustible and we have the relevant manufacturer's guarantees confirming the safety of all products used.'</s>A London council is evacuating more than 800 households from a tower blocks clad in a similar combustible material to Grenfell Tower after firefighters said they 'could not guarantee resident safety'.

Five blocks in the Chalcots Estate in Camden have similar exterior plastic panels to those fitted to the 24-storey Grenfell Tower.

The cheap cladding was blamed for the fire spreading from one fourth floor flat and engulfing the entire building in the early hours of June 14.

Some 4,000 people are preparing to be evacuated tonight. Camden is the first council to evacuate buildings in the wake of the tragedy.

Camden Council leaders yesterday met angry residents after they found out their homes were clad in a flammable material.

After London Fire Brigade inspected the building it was decided that residents would be 'temporarily decanted' while 'urgent' fire safety works were done.

In a statement today Georgia Gould, leader of Camden Council she was 'determined' to ensure that residents felt safe.

She said: 'Last night the Chief Executive and I led a public meeting to listen to the concerns held by residents of the Chalcots estate.

'Upon hearing from residents the we immediately instructed a joint fire inspection with the London Fire Brigade.

'Today the London Fire Brigade completed a joint inspection of the blocks.

'Together we decided that the Taplow block needs to be temporarily decanted while we undertake urgent fire safety works so that residents can be fully assured of their safety.

'This means that we need to move residents from their homes and into temporary accommodation.'

Several other tower blocks in London, as well as building in Manchester and Plymouth were found to contain flammable cladding, the Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed.

Workmen have already started to strip cladding from tower blocks around the country today as investigators revealed tiles and insulation on Grenfell House have not passed safety tests.

At least 79 people are believed to have died in the fire that ripped through the west London tower block in the early hours of June 14.

Cllr Gould added: 'We anticipate that these works will be completed within three to four weeks.

'We realise that this is hugely distressing for everyone affected and we will be doing all we can, alongside the London Fire Brigade and other authorities, to support our residents at this difficult time.

'The Grenfell fire changes everything – we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe.

'You will appreciate that this is an emerging situation and we will be providing regular updates.'

Yesterday, London Fire Brigade Borough Commander Simon Tuhill said inspectors would check the fire safety of every building on the estate and make sure firefighting facilities were in place.

He added: 'The Brigade will also programme more in-depth inspections as part of an on-going process.'</s>Grenfell Tower: Cladding on dozens of UK apartment blocks fails fire safety tests after London inferno

Twenty-seven high-rise apartment blocks have failed fire cladding safety tests carried out in the wake of a deadly inferno at a west London tower, the British Government says.

Specifics on where the buildings were located were not given, but officials said they were in 15 council areas.

Officials had said earlier that samples of cladding panels from 14 buildings in London, Manchester and Plymouth had been found to be combustible.

The testing is being done as officials around Britain scramble to assess the safety of apartment buildings following the June 14 inferno that engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London, killing an estimated 79 people.

Combustible cladding used to insulate the tower and improve its appearance has been blamed for the rapid spread of the blaze.

Overnight on Friday (local time), about 650 homes were evacuated by the Camden Borough Council in London due to fire safety concerns.

The number of households was revised down from an earlier estimate of 800.

However, UK media reported dozens of people at the affected Chalcots Estate were refusing to leave their homes.

Carl McDowell, 31, said he took one look at the packed inflatable beds offered at a nearby leisure centre being used as a temporary shelter, and went back to his own apartment.

He said officials knocked on residents' doors on Friday night, two hours after he had heard about the evacuation on the news.

Camden Council leader Georgia Gould said if residents had not left their homes after being visited again by officials on Saturday, "it will become a matter for the fire service".

Ms Gould said the council decided to evacuate the buildings on the Chalcots Estate late on Friday after fire inspectors told officials the blocks were unsafe.

Inspectors uncovered problems with "gas insulation and door stops", which combined with the presence of flammable cladding meant residents had to leave immediately.

So far, Camden Council has been the only local authority known to have asked residents to leave as a precaution.

The flammable external cladding has been identified as the culprit in the Grenfell disaster, but fire-safety experts have said the blaze was probably due to a string of failures, not just the cladding.

Police said on Friday they were considering filing manslaughter charges over the Grenfell disaster and they were conducting a wide-ranging investigation that would look at everything that contributed to it.

The Metropolitan Police said cladding attached to the 24-storey public housing project during a recent renovation failed safety tests conducted by investigators, and they had seized documents from a number of organisations.

"We are looking at every criminal offence from manslaughter onwards," Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said.

"We are looking at all health and safety and fire safety offences, and we are reviewing every company at the moment involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower."

The Government has ordered an immediate examination of the refrigerator model that started the blaze — the Hotpoint model FF175BP.

Hotpoint said it was working with authorities to examine the appliance, adding "words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy".

The Government has called on all building owners, public and private, to submit samples of cladding material used on their buildings for testing.

Police say 79 people are either dead or missing and presumed dead in the blaze, although authorities have warned the number might change and it could never be known exactly how many people died.

To encourage cooperation, Prime Minister Theresa May said the Government would not penalise any fire survivors who were in the country illegally.</s>Cladding samples from 27 high-rise buildings in 15 local authorities have failed safety tests in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Government has said.

The Department for Communities and Local Government's announcement comes amid a national safety operation to identify buildings with cladding like that used on the tower block in north Kensington.

Portsmouth and Brent were named along with Camden, Manchester, Plymouth and Hounslow as local authorities with buildings that failed tests.

Four tower blocks housing up to 4,000 people on Camden's Chalcots Estate have been evacuated over fire safety concerns.

The occupants of around 650 properties on the Chalcots Estate complied with advice to leave five tower blocks after fire officers deemed them unsafe on Friday.

Camden Council leader Georgia Gould said if residents had not left their properties after being visited again by officials on Saturday, "it will become a matter for the fire service".

John Clancy, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "Birmingham City Council has NOT used the combustible cladding used on Grenfell Tower on any of its 213 blocks of flats."

Flammable panelling on the outside of Grenfell Tower is suspected to have aided the rapid spread of last week's blaze, trapping dozens inside.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is coordinating the process and facilities allow for 100 samples a day to be tested.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said: "So far, three samples have been found to be combustible."

She added: "In terms of how many buildings and how many homes have this type of cladding, the estimate provided to us by councils is that there are approximately 600 high-rise buildings with similar cladding.

"We are in touch with all the local authorities to encourage them to urgently send us the samples and then we will carry out the checks that we need to see where we are with that."</s>More than 800 homes in tower blocks on a council estate in Camden, north London, have been evacuated due to fire safety concerns.

Camden Council says people in five towers on the Chalcots estate are being moved for “urgent fire safety works”.

Those affected are being placed in temporary accommodation, including in hotels.

“At the moment, all we care about is getting people to safety. The cost we can deal with later,” said the leader of Camden Council. The work to make the blocks safe is expected to take three to four weeks.

The order caused a chaotic scramble of confused residents clutching suitcases and children in the middle of the night — many with no idea where they would stay — from the five buildings in northwest London. All have exterior cladding and insulation similar to that used on Grenfell Tower, a London high rise where at least 79 people are known to have died in a fire last week.
All 800 homes in the five tower blocks of the Chalcots Estate, in Camden, London, are evacuated after the cladding was declared to have failed fire safety tests.