Police Build £2M Replica of Grenfell Tower as 54 People and 20 Organisations Face Potential Charges

The Metropolitan Police is building £2 million replica sections of Grenfell Tower as it prepares for possible criminal proceedings involving 54 individuals and 20 organisations identified as suspects in the investigation into the 2017 fire.

The replica is intended to help future jurors understand the tower's layout and how elements of the building looked before, during and after its refurbishment. It comes as the Met has submitted its final files to the Crown Prosecution Service, asking prosecutors to consider charges including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and misconduct in public office.

The CPS has committed to making charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the fire on 14 June 2027. The blaze in North Kensington, west London, killed 72 people. No one has been charged in connection with the disaster until now.

£2M Replica Prepared For Possible Trials

The scale replica sections are being built at a cost of £2 million in anticipation of potential court proceedings. The Met previously said the replica would allow jurors to understand the building in a way that drawings or 3D renderings could not.

The investigation, known as Operation Northleigh, has involved 220 investigators. Detectives have collected 165 million electronic files, taken 14,700 witness statements and examined more than 27,000 physical exhibits, including cladding, insulation, doors, windows, screws, nuts and bolts.

54 Suspects Referred To CPS

The Met has submitted 20 files relating to 54 individuals and 20 organisations, alongside 14 overarching evidence files. Its summary reports exceed 12,600 pages and reference more than 45,000 documents, images and exhibits.

Investigators examined the roles of more than 15,000 people and 700 organisations before identifying the current suspects. They also examined the 1,700-page Grenfell Tower Inquiry report and cross-referenced its findings against the criminal investigation.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has been referred to prosecutors over potential corporate manslaughter, a breach of section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and an offence under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, according to the council.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner confirmed that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was notified in 2023 that it was under investigation. The Met has now referred a file concerning a potential breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to the CPS.

CPS To Decide On Charges

CPS prosecutors will independently review the evidence and decide whether the legal test for prosecution is met. The service remains confident charging decisions will be completed before the 10th anniversary.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth described the submission as a milestone in what he called one of the most complex investigations undertaken by a UK law enforcement agency.

Grenfell United, which represents bereaved families and survivors, said families had waited more than nine years for justice and urged the process to move forward without further unnecessary delay.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry concluded in 2024 that the disaster was avoidable and identified serious failures across government and the private sector. Those findings are separate from the criminal investigation.

The 54 individuals and 20 organisations remain suspects while the CPS considers whether the evidence supports charges. A referral to prosecutors does not mean charges will necessarily follow.