Grenfell fire survivors moved out of hotel with just hours notice
Community groups helping the victims said some of them have been moved between three or four hotels since the fire.
Saturday 24 June 2017 05:16, UK
Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have been thrown out of a west London hotel with just a few hours notice.
Sky News has seen the letter from Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council which asked the people, some of whom lost family members in the fire, to get out by 4pm on Friday.
A telephone number was given for them to arrange alternative accommodation but some victims have told us there was either no response or no answer as to where they should go.
The letter from the council said: "Despite efforts to extend your stay... regrettably the hotel has stated that they do not have availability to extend your booking.
"You will need to check out of this hotel by 4pm.
"Please contact the accommodation team as a matter of urgency to discuss your urgent options."
The survivors were in 20 rooms at the hotel in Kensington and the Red Cross said they have all since been able to find other accommodation.
But local community groups helping at the hotel said some of the victims have been moved between three or four hotels since the 14 June fire.
Asif Hussain from the Muslim Council of Britain is one of those who have been trying to help the victims.
He said: "When they rang the number that was written on the letter even as late as 12.30, they weren't told, they didn't know where they were going, they had to pack their bags, get ready to go but they didn't know where."
He added: "The galling (thing is that) the council has hardly had any representative here at the hotel, they've sent representatives from other councils this morning to help them.
"So there has been no one for (victims) to talk to, no one for them to complain to.
"They have been left completely in the lurch, completely in the dark not knowing where they are going until a taxi arrives at the hotel, taken to the taxi and at that point they know where they are going."
He said that he had chaperoned an elderly survivor into a taxi and was told she was moving for the fourth time in 10 days.
"Ten days with your possessions in a carrier bag, not knowing where you are going to get food to eat is a very long time.
"For this to happen in this country, in this day and age in the richest borough in the country, is an absolute disgrace."
There are 79 people dead or missing presumed dead in the fire at the 24-storey tower block but hundreds of other residents who escaped the fire have lost their homes.
A Grenfell fire response spokesperson said the hotel "was unable to continue accommodating 30 households due to previous bookings".
"We obviously regret disruption to people who have already suffered terrible upheaval and we are trying hard to avoid unnecessary moves.
"Those leaving ... have been offered alternative rooms at hotels at County Hall and Waterloo in central London.
"Kensington and Chelsea Council staff are working with residents to show them brochures of the new hotels, to arrange transport and to help with packing and luggage."