Grenfell Tower is set to be demolished in a process that will take around two years, the government has said.
The tower, which was preserved after the horrific blaze ripped through the building and killed 72 people in June 2017, will be torn down and turned into a memorial.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner is understood to have been met with gasps from shocked families and survivors after she told them it would be knocked down on Wednesday.
Grenfell United, which represents some of the bereaved and survivors of the June 2017 fire, claimed the voices of many loved ones had been ignored.
“Angela Rayner could not give a reason for her decision to demolish the tower,” a spokesperson said.
![Bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell disaster said ‘no-one’ supported Rayner’s decision to demolish the building](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/02/06/11/27/SEI235468767.jpeg)
“She refused to confirm how many bereaved and survivors had been spoken to in the recent, short four-week consultation.
“But judging from the room alone – the vast majority of whom were bereaved – no one supported her decision. But she claims her decision is based on our views.”
Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday that the victims of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 72 people in 2017, must always be “in our mind’s eye”, when asked about their claims of a lack of consultation.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow…