Sadiq Khan demands Theresa May allow commissioners to take charge of Kensington council

Mayor of London said new commissioners should be 'untainted' and 'of good standing'

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, leaves St Clement'ss Church after a service in honour of those affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire in north Kensington, London (EPA)

Sadiq Khan has called on Theresa May to send in commissioners to run Kensington and Chelsea council.

The Prime Minister should appoint commissioners "immediately" to take over the administration of the authority as it reels in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, Mr Khan said.

The Mayor of London published a letter calling for action on his Facebook page, following the resignation of council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown and deputy leader Rock Feilding Mellen.

Mr Khan said the council was "not fit for purpose" and described its meeting last night -- from which the public was banned and journalists had to acquire a court order to gain access to -- as "shambolic".

Local residents say they feel betrayed by the local authority's sluggish response to the fire which killed at least 80 people earlier this month.

"It is self evident that the leadership of the council has lost the trust of local residents," Mr Khan wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister.

He continued: "Without this trust, the council cannot effectively serve them or meet its responsibilities.

"It is also clear that a change in leadership from amongst the existing councillors will not address this situation -- in fact it may aggravate it further, as it fails to address the fundamental breakdown in trust that has taken place."

Mr Khan said the government therefore had "no option" but to "immediately appoint commissioners to take over the running of Kensington and Chelsea council" until elections in May 2018.

By this time, evidence presented to a public inquiry should enable voters to make an informed choice, Mr Khan said.

It is "crucial" the commissioners should be people of "high standing and probity," Mr Khan said, and have "genuine empathy" for local residents and their situations.

He added that they should be "untainted" in order to encourage confidence among locals.

"These commissioners should serve the local community who deserve to know that decisions will be taken properly, in and open and accountable way," Mr Khan said.

The Mayor appealed to the Prime Minister's personal experience as a councillor, adding the government needed to step in quickly.