'Justice for Grenfell': Thousands to protest in Westminster over London tower block inferno

Thousands of people are expected to attend a rally in Westminster on Friday evening (16 June) over the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The "Justice for Grenfell" protest will see people gather outside the Department for Communities and Local Government building in Marsham Street at 6pm.

More than 2,000 people have said on the event's Facebook page that they will attend.

Seventeen bodies have so far been discovered in the west London tower block following Wednesday morning's fire. Police say the death toll is likely to rise, with dozens reported missing.

"At least 150 people have died in the fire at Grenfell Tower. They deserve justice. We demand answers. Solidarity with the residents of Grenfell Tower," organisers of Friday's rally wrote on Facebook.

They say the event has the support of the Grenfell Action Group, a residents' association which repeatedly spoke out about fire safety fears at the tower block.

In a chilling blog post last year, the group had warned that "only a catastrophic event" would expose "the ineptitude and incompetence" of those responsible for the safety of the building.

After news of the fire broke, the group wrote: "Regular readers of this blog will know that we have posted numerous warnings in recent years about the very poor fire safety standards at Grenfell Tower and elsewhere in RBKC [Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea].

"ALL OUR WARNINGS FELL ON DEAF EARS and we predicted that a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time."

Friday's rally is also being supporter by Defend Council Housing, Kensington and Chelsea Momentum, Westway23 and NW London Stand Up to Racism, organisers said.

There were angry scenes when politicians visited the scene of the fire in north Kensington on Thursday.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was heckled by crowds and Prime Minister Theresa May was criticised for visiting the site without meeting members of the community.

On Thursday, Scotland Yard opened a criminal investigation into the fire. The prime minister also announced an inquiry into the tragedy, saying the victims' families "deserve answers."

Emergency workers are meanwhile still searching through the burnt-out 24-storey building, which was almost entirely consumed by flames.

Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy said recovering bodies could take months due to the extent of the damage, and admitted there was a risk not all would be identified.