People who sublet flats illegally in Grenfell Tower will not face prosecution, government says

Communities Secretary says protection will be given to anyone who comes forward with information

Kensington and Chelsea admits there is ‘considerable public interest’ in releasing information but says it fears collapsing police investigation (Getty)

Those who were illegally subletting their properties in Grenfell Tower will not be prosecuted, the government has said.

Communities Secretary, Sajid David, said protection would be given to anyone who came forward with information about people who were in their flats at the time of the fire.

Reports have suggested that some residents were unlawfully subletting their properties and were reluctant to inform authorities that people were missing.

Attorney general Jeremy Wright QC said: “Every piece of information will help the authorities accurately identify who was in the flats at the time of the fire. I hope this statement provides some much-needed clarity to residents and the local community, and encourages anyone with information to come forward.”

At least 80 people are believed to have died in the fire at the tower block in Kensington and it is thought the full death toll will not be known for months.

The news comes as a total of 181 high-rise buildings have failed safety tests that were carried out after the Grenfell Tower fire, the Government has said.

Officials have been conducting tests on 600 high-rise buildings across the country after the blaze ripped through the 24-storey building.

The Department for Communities said that the cladding from 181 high-rise buildings in 51 local authority areas had failed tests.

The highest number of these towers reportedly came from Salford, where 29 buildings were found with at-risk material, according to the Sun.