MET POLICE SENDS GRENFELL FIRE FILE TO PROSECUTORS

The Metropolitan Police has submitted its final investigation file on the Grenfell Tower fire to the Crown Prosecution Service, the force said. Twenty companies and organisations, along with 54 individuals, could face criminal charges, according to the Met. Potential charges include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and fraud-related offences, and misconduct in public office. The Met described the case, part of its Operation Northleigh investigation, as one of the most complex investigations ever undertaken by any UK law enforcement agency. Seventy-two people died when fire broke out at the tower block in North Kensington, west London, on 14 June 2017.

The Met said Operation Northleigh has cost £150m and examined the actions of 15,000 people across 700 organisations. A public inquiry that reported in 2024 found the fire was avoidable, according to the Met's account of the findings. The submission follows years of investigation into how the blaze started and spread through the building. It now falls to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether any of the companies, organisations or individuals identified will face prosecution.

The scale of the file reflects the number of parties the Met says were examined over the course of the investigation. A decision by the Crown Prosecution Service on charges has not yet been announced. Families of those who died in the fire have long awaited the outcome of the criminal investigation. The case will continue to be watched closely given the number of potential defendants and the range of offences under consideration.