Grenfell investigation files passed to CPS

1 Government apologises "on behalf of the British state"
2 Government statement
3 MHCLG under investigation since 2023
4 Police: "A milestone moment"
5 Kensington and Chelsea Council
6 Bereaved and survivors call for justice without delay
7 Related articles on Designing Buildings
8 External references

[edit] Government apologises "on behalf of the British state"

The Metropolitan Police has submitted its investigation files on the Grenfell Tower fire to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The files relate to 54 individuals and 20 companies and organisations, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC).

The files were submitted on 30 September 2026, more than nine years after the fire of 14 June 2017, which killed 72 people. The CPS has committed to making charging decisions before the tenth anniversary of the fire in June 2027.

[edit] Government statement

In a statement published on 30 September 2026, Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said the Government had failed in its "fundamental duty" to keep residents of Grenfell Tower safe and apologised "on behalf of the British state". She also said that the Metropolitan Police investigation, known as Operation Northleigh, had been conducted independently of government and that the independent criminal justice process should now take its course.

[edit] MHCLG under investigation since 2023

The Government statement confirmed that the Metropolitan Police notified MHCLG in 2023 that the department was under investigation. It said that the department had cooperated fully and had not previously disclosed details of the investigation publicly in order to protect its integrity.

The Metropolitan Police has now confirmed to MHCLG that a file relating to the department has been referred to the CPS for an independent review of the evidence to determine whether the evidential requirements for a potential breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 have been met.

Ms Rayner said that the CPS would lead the next stage of the process and that the Government would continue to cooperate.

[edit] Police: "A milestone moment"

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth described the submission of the files as "a milestone moment" in the police investigation. The Met said that a team of 220 investigators had worked on the case.

The investigation examined the role of more than 15,000 individuals and 700 organisations involved with Grenfell Tower. Evidence gathering resulted in 54 people and 20 organisations being identified as suspects for the criminal offences referred to the CPS.

The CPS will independently assess the evidence and determine whether charges should be brought.

[edit] Kensington and Chelsea Council

RBKC has confirmed that a file relating to the council has been referred to the CPS concerning potential corporate manslaughter, breaches of section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The council's leader, Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, said that the council's commitment to candour, openness and accountability remained unchanged. She said the council was cooperating fully and remained focused on meeting its commitments following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

[edit] Bereaved and survivors call for justice without delay

Grenfell United, which represents bereaved families and survivors, said that more than nine years had passed without anyone being held criminally accountable for the deaths of the 72 people who died in the fire. The group called for those responsible to face justice and said it expected the Metropolitan Police and CPS to ensure that the case progressed without further unnecessary delay.

The submission of the files to the CPS does not itself mean that any individual or organisation has been charged with an offence. Any charging decisions will be made by the CPS following its assessment of the evidence.