Silverwood House in Doncaster window capping to be removed

A letter (detail here) has been sent to the block's residents

A high-rise block in South Yorkshire is to have decorative window capping removed in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

As a precaution it would be removed from the external stairwell windows on Silverwood House, Doncaster, starting on Monday, said the council.

A letter to the residents said: " We do not believe there is any danger".

The council has been reviewing the fire risk of its nine blocks of flats with the fire service.

The capping was found to have "some fire retardant properties - fire retardant means it slows fire down, but this is not as good as being fire resistant, which is the best standard", the letter added.

The fire at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in London on 14 June claimed at least 79 lives.

The council and its housing provider St Leger Homes have since reviewed the block with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

Tests have confirmed the cladding used on all Doncaster's high-rise blocks was not the same as used at Grenfell Tower, is fire resistant and meets safety standards, the council said.

Jo Miller, chief executive of Doncaster Council, said: "Although we have not been advised that this decorative capping detail should be removed, we have decided to remove it as a precautionary measure."

Steve Waddington, of St Leger Homes, said residents in Silverwood House had been visited about the work.

Removal of the capping should take about a week, the council said.