THOSE responsible for the suffering of firefighters who battled the Grenfell Tower blaze must not be allowed to “drag their feet” any longer, lawyers representing the workers have demanded.

Social justice law firm Thompsons Solicitors marked today’s fifth anniversary of the deadly fire by highlighting that “no-one is yet willing to accept responsibility for the tragedy and the physical and psychological injuries” inflicted on survivors.

On behalf of the Fire Brigades Union, the firm is seeking a “just settlement” for more than 100 firefighters and emergency control staff who led the response to the inferno at the 24-storey west London tower block on June 14 2017, which killed 72 people. 

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack told the Morning Star: “Together with Thompsons, the [FBU] is fighting to win justice for firefighters.

"The people who created this disastrous fire have a real case to answer. Firefighters suffered utterly awful psychological and physical injuries at Grenfell, and the union stands in solidarity with its members as we pursue these claims.”

The ongoing public inquiry into the disaster has revealed that the building in north Kensington was wrapped in low-cost combustible cladding which helped to spread the fire, initially sparked by a faulty refrigerator. 

Thompsons’s civil claims have been made against multiple corporate defendants, including the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea — Grenfell’s landlord –— and Arconic, the US metals giant that manufactured the cladding. 

Principal lawyer Vincent Reynolds told the Morning Star: “We are determined to reach a just settlement for our clients as soon as possible and, in order to facilitate an attempt at mediation, the proceedings have currently been put on hold — or ‘stayed.’

“Our clients, however, are not prepared to remain in legal limbo for months or years to come.

“The defendants must not be allowed to drag their feet when the evidence coming from the inquiry has laid bare their significant, collective failings.

“If they do not engage, we will not hesitate to bring the full force of the law against them.”

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack told the Morning Star: “Together with Thompsons, the [FBU] is fighting to win justice for firefighters.

"The people who created this disastrous fire have a real case to answer. Firefighters suffered utterly awful psychological and physical injuries at Grenfell, and the union stands in solidarity with its members as we pursue these claims.”

Both the borough and Arconic claim to be “fully participating” in the process.