Labour's David Lammy demands corporate manslaughter arrests over Grenfell Tower fire

Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, has said people should arrested for the "corporate manslaughter" which occurred at Grenfell Tower.

At least 17 people are confirmed dead, with the number expected to rise, following the huge fire which ripped through the block in north Kensington, west London.

Investigations are underway to determine what caused the fire which took more than 200 firefighters to extinguish.

In the wake of the fire, local residents described how they expressed for years their concerns that the 24-storey building is a major fire risk and that "only a catastrophic event" would expose "the ineptitude and incompetence" of their landlord, the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO).

Residents were also critical of the building's 'stay put' policy in the case of a fire.

Grenfell Tower had recently gone through a multimillion refurbishment, which including the installation of zinc cladding on the exterior of the building. Despite the redevelopment, the building did not have a sprinkler system.

Speaking the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lammy said: "This is the richest borough in our country treating its citizens in this way and we should call it what it is. It is corporate manslaughter. That's what it is. And there should be arrests made, frankly. It is an outrage.

"Many of us across the country have been caught up in an election knocking on housing estate doors, travelling up to the top floors of tower blocks, and we know as politicians that the conditions in this country are unacceptable."

Lammy added: "We built buildings in the 70s. Those 70s buildings, many of them should be demolished. They have not got easy fire escapes. They have got no sprinklers.

"It is totally, totally unacceptable in Britain that this is allowed to happen and that people lose their lives in this way. People should be held to account."

Rydon, the construction company responsible for the £8.6m development at Grenfell Tower, have ensured the building met "all required building control, fire regulation and health and safety standards."

A spokesperson for The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea said: "We have heard a number of theories about the cause of the fire at Grenfell Tower. All of these will be thoroughly investigated as part of the formal investigation which has already begun."