Grenfell Tower Fire: Met Police Submit Evidence Against 20 Firms and 54 Individuals to CPS

Police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire have referred evidence to prosecutors, urging them to consider charges such as manslaughter and fraud against various companies and individuals.

The Metropolitan Police announced it had transferred evidence concerning 20 companies and 54 individuals to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ahead of charging decisions, calling it a “milestone moment”.

Andy Burnham aligned with survivors’ groups, stating the process had “taken too long,” but vowed to support Grenfell families “to ensure they get the justice and accountability that they deserve”.

Potential charges include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety violations, fraud, and misconduct in public office.

The Guardian reports that a senior prosecutor has been assigned to oversee any potential court cases.

The fire on 14 June 2017—deemed avoidable by a public inquiry—resulted in the deaths of 72 people in North Kensington, west London. The inquiry found it stemmed from “decades of failure” by central government to halt combustible cladding, alongside the “systematic dishonesty” of multimillion-pound companies whose products fueled the blaze.

The CPS has pledged to make charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the disaster on 14 June 2027.

Kevin Southworth, a deputy assistant commissioner at the Met, stated: “This is a milestone moment in the police investigation into this devastating tragedy which took the lives of 72 people. We appreciate, of course, it has taken nine years to reach this point. As we have said before, this is one of the most complex investigations ever undertaken by any UK law enforcement agency—the scale is truly enormous. While we know this has had a significant impact on those waiting for answers, it has necessarily taken this long to ensure our investigation is meticulous and presents the very best possible evidence to the CPS for charging decisions.”

Investigators examined the roles of over 15,000 people and 700 organizations, submitting 12,600 pages of evidence to the CPS.

A total of 14,700 statements were taken, and more than 27,000 exhibits—including cladding, insulation, doors, windows, and building components down to screws and nuts—are stored in a secure warehouse.

Scale replica parts of the tower are being constructed at a cost of £2m in preparation for potential court proceedings.

Grenfell United, representing bereaved families and survivors, said: “We expect the Met and the CPS to do everything in their power to ensure this case moves forward without further unnecessary delay. Our families have waited long enough. We want those responsible to face justice. If people are found guilty of crimes that cost our loved ones their lives, we want to see them behind bars. Only then will people see that there are real consequences for what happened at Grenfell.”

The prime minister told Channel 5 News: “It has taken too long, but at least [the evidence] has been submitted. To be fair to the Metropolitan police, it has been a complex and wide-ranging investigation and they’ve had to do it in a forensic way, dealing with multiple, multiple organisations.”

Burnham cited the Hillsborough law, which he helped campaign for, imposing a duty of candour on public authorities to prevent cover-ups. “It’s intended to speed up situations, like this, so we can get the truth and justice much more quickly. And accountability—that’s the piece that’s often lacking. There must be accountability for Grenfell,” he said.

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said the service remains confident it will complete the process and make charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the fire next year.

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