Council ‘tried to gag’ Irishman over London tower fire threat
THE Irishman who first alerted authorities about the risk of fire sweeping through Grenfell tower has said the council tried to gag him by threatening legal action.
Francis O’Connor was a resident and member of the Grenfell Action Group which complained to Kensington and Chelsea Council about conditions inside the high-rise.
Mr O’Connor was back living in Ireland when the massive blaze tore through the 24-storey high-rise with such devastating consequences but had tried to alert the council about the fire risk months earlier. In a blog post published on the community group’s website in November last year, Mr O’Connor wrote: ‘It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believes that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord and bring an end to the dangerous living conditions and neglect of health and safety legislation that they inflict upon their tenants’ and lease holders.’
Yesterday, Mr O’Connor told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that his warning from November 2016 had proved ‘eerily prophetic’. The letter to Mr O’Connor from a council solicitor stated: ‘I am instructed that you previously posted blogs that have in general been critical of everything that takes place in Lancaster West in relation to the Kensington Academy Leisure Centre and investment on the estate. In your more recent postings, you have made direct accusations about unfounded criminal actions.
‘You will no doubt appreciate that if you have evidence of criminal activity this should be reported and pursued through the police.’
They added that his blog post was likely to be considered defamatory and likely to be perceived as harassment of the people named.
Mr O’Connor, who now lives in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, said: ‘I think they were trying to intimidate me.’
The June 14 blaze has so far claimed 33 lives, with a further 47 people missing, presumed dead.
Kensington and Chelsea Council had not responded to questions at time of going to print.