May orders investigation into cladding on UK high-rises

British Prime Minister Theresa May today ordered a "major investigation" into the use of cladding on high-rise buildings across the UK after 95 tower blocks covered by 35 local authorities failed fire safety tests.

The samples were submitted after the massive fire at Grenfell Tower earlier this month, which claimed at least 79 lives and displaced hundreds, and also led to an announcement of a public inquiry.

The latest "major investigation" is expected to fall under a second phase of that inquiry after all cladding samples submitted by local councils failed the testing criteria.

"That remains a 100 per cent failure rate," May s official spokesperson told reporters at Downing Street.

"The Prime Minister said there would need to be a major national investigation into what had gone wrong, when cladding which is failing the tests was fitted on buildings across the country over a number of decades. Very clearly, these failures are concerning and this is why the Prime Minister said to Cabinet this morning we need to have this major national investigation," he noted.

It is believed that all the tests so far have involved local authority owned blocks in the UK, rather than private buildings.

Samples of cladding were also being sought from schools and hospitals, but it is not yet known whether any had been tested.

The announcement comes as an open letter to May from residents on and around the Grenfell Tower estate in west London warned that the investigation into the fire must leave "no stone unturned".

"It must identify each and every individual and organisation who must bear responsibility and accountability for this tragedy and the mishandling of the aftermath. There must be swift recommendations to ensure there can be no chance of a repeat of this disaster elsewhere," reads the letter signed by the Justice4Grenfell campaign.

The Grenfell Tower blaze, believed to have started in a fridge-freezer, destroyed 151 homes in the north Kensington block and in the surrounding area of the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

UK Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid has issued an urgent call for all councils to send in samples of cladding from tall buildings.

Meanwhile, the US firm that supplied cladding used on Grenfell Tower says it has ended global sales of the product for use in high-rise blocks.

Arconic said on Monday that it was discontinuing sales of Reynobond PE for tower blocks due to "issues" identified by the fire.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)