27 high-rise apartment blocks in London fail fire cladding safety tests

Nearly 4,000 residents were forced to leave five tower blocks in north London after firefighters said it was unsafe for them to stay

Twenty seven high-rise apartment blocks in London have failed fire cladding safety tests that were launched in the wake of the Grenfell Tower blaze which killed 79 people, the British government said on Saturday.

Residents are evacuated from the Taplow Tower residential block as a precautionary measure following concerns over the type of cladding used on the outside of the building on the Chalcots Estate in north London. (Reuters photo)

The department for communities and local government said 27 developments from London in the south east to Manchester in the north and Plymouth on the south-west coast had failed fire tests on the cladding used in the buildings.

Late on Friday nearly 4,000 residents were forced to leave five tower blocks in north London after firefighters said it was unsafe for them to stay.

Amid chaotic scenes, residents clutching children, pets and small amounts of clothing and food emerged from five tower blocks to sleep on air beds in a local sports centre after hearing on the news that their buildings were being evacuated.

“I know it’s difficult but Grenfell changes everything,” Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council, said in a statement late on Friday. “I don’t believe we can take any risks with our residents’ safety.”