Grenfell firefighters to receive council compensation

Compensation claims were made on behalf of firefighters who tackled the blaze at Grenfell Tower in June 2017

More than 100 firefighters who tackled the Grenfell Tower blaze will receive compensation from Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Councillors agreed to settle with a group of 114 responders who were at the west London tower block on the night of the fire, which killed 72 people.

Four more defendants are part of the claim, including "those involved in [the tower's] refurbishment".

The details of the settlement will be kept confidential.

Council chief executive Maxine Holdsworth said in a report: "The council has worked with other defendants to ensure that valid claims are resolved and compensated, in a way that mitigates the financial impact on the public purse."

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said the blaze left many firefighters traumatised as they worked through the night to rescue people "from a fire that should never have been allowed to happen".

The council report also noted that "although the legal term 'defendants' has been used, the council has always been clear that it is not trying to, and would not, defend the decisions made and actions taken that led to the tragedy".

The settlement agreement will be finalised within three weeks.

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