57 individuals and 20 organisations are currently considered suspects in the police investigation
A decision is likely on whether to bring criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower tragedy before the 10th anniversary, police have said. A total of 57 individuals and 20 organisations are currently considered suspects in the Met Police investigation.
One arrest has been made and they have been released under investigation. A number of others have also been interviewed under caution.
Possible charges include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, misconduct in public office, fraud and health and safety breaches. If a criminal trial goes ahead, this could begin by 2029 or earlier, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.
The Met is set to pass charge files to the CPS as early as the end of September this year.
“[The families] have waited a long time for this and this is a hugely significant and difficult time for them,” said Garry Moncrieff, Officer in Overall Command of the investigation.
He described that £150million criminal investigation as “one of the largest and most complicated” investigations undertaken by the Met. Mr Moncrieff added that forensic investigators spent 14 months at the tower gathering evidence.
“It’s our job to make sure we do a fair, thorough and comprehensive investigation so that charge decisions can be taken,” said Mr Moncrieff.
He added that police have “gathered strong evidence”.
A total of 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell fire tragedy on June 14 2017. A public inquiry officially opened in September that same year, with a final concluding report published on February 10 2025.
A spokesperson for Grenfell United, which represents some of the families bereaved by the disaster and survivors, called for no further delay. The group said: “Today’s update from the Metropolitan Police marks an important step in a process that has already taken far too long.
“Nearly 10 years after the Grenfell Tower fire claimed the lives of 72 people, bereaved families, survivors and residents are being told that files will begin to be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service in September 2026, with charging decisions expected before the tenth anniversary.
“For our community, this is not news we meet with celebration. We meet it with caution, grief and determination. We have waited almost a decade for accountability. No family should have to wait over 10 years for justice for their loved ones, if it comes at all.
“The final report of the Grenfell Inquiry laid bare the shocking failures, dishonesty and disregard for human life that led to the fire. Grenfell was not a tragedy without cause. Those responsible must now be held to account.
“But after waiting nearly 10 years, our community cannot be expected to endure years more of delay. The Ministry of Justice and the Government must ensure the courts are properly resourced so that any prosecutions linked to Grenfell are heard swiftly. Justice delayed any further would be unacceptable.”
Charge files are set to be handed over to the CPS by September 30. Any charges will likely be brought before the 10th anniversary of the tragedy which takes place next summer. The number of people considered suspects could vary before the files are officially handed over.
A £2million replica of Grenfell Tower would be used as part of any future criminal trial. The location for the replica has already been decided. No fire testing will take place on the Grenfell Tower replica.
The Metropolitan Police Service has evaluated the role of 15,000 people and 700 organisations, as part of its investigation. It has gathered over 165million electronic files and meticulously searched them for evidence, with 14,000 statements taken.
A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: “We understand how important justice is to families and the local community. The investigation and charges are a matter for the police and we will continue to cooperate fully.”
Emma Dent-Coad, who was the former MP for Kensington at the time of the fire, said: “The announcement from the Met today about the timeline towards prosecutions contained nothing new really. We had already heard about handing the files over to the CPS, the numbers of people and organisations under investigation, and the potential charges.
“The comment about a possible partial reconstruction has also been flagged before. The most important issue to most of us is the potential charge of gross negligence manslaughter, which if found guilty means jail time.
“What many of us want is to see the worst perpetrators go to jail. What is frustrating to many is what I understand to be a further delay of around six months, and that criminal trials may not start until 2029.
“We do of course understand the importance of the police being 200% sure of their evidence – they are up against multi-million dollar global corporations who have a bottomless pit of money for their defence. Meanwhile we who are suffering are paying for the defence of our failing council. Hardly justice in any way.”
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