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Grenfell Families Launch Legal Bid To Save Stairwell Walls Bearing Handprints

The move challenges a government decision to exclude upper-floor materials from preservation.

A crane operates at Grenfell Tower, as the west London building is being gradually dismantled with the process expected to last for two years until 2027, in London, Britain, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo

Overview

  • Relatives have sent pre-action letters seeking a judicial review of the refusal to retain marked stairwell wall sections.
  • Families say smoke-blackened handprints were found between floors 12 and 14, with an Arabic soot inscription discovered between floors 17 and 18.
  • Lawyers cite a 2025 assurance from Angela Rayner that parts of the tower could be kept for a memorial if the community wished.
  • The government has told families nothing above the ninth floor will be preserved due to the sensitivity and loss of life, while MHCLG says remembrance remains central to its approach.
  • Deconstruction began in September 2025 and is set to last about two years, with Grenfell Next of Kin urging preservation to allow discussions with families and memorial designers.