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2mo ago

UK Pauses Parts of Grenfell Demolition After Families Move to Protect Handprint Walls

Bereaved families are seeking a court review to secure preservation of stairwell markings they see as vital to a community-led memorial.

Handprints on a blackened wall at the Grenfell Tower block of flats, the site of a June 2017 deadly fire, as family members of victims have said they will take legal action against the government unless it reverses a decision not to preserve a section of the tower's wall, bearing handprints they believe belong to victims or survivors, for a future memorial, in London, Britain, July 2025. Work to dismantle the tower started in September 2025. Karim Khalloufi/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT
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
Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a fire in the Grenfell Tower apartment block in West London, Britain, June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Overview

  • Government officials confirmed deconstruction has been halted in specific areas of the tower in response to legal action by bereaved relatives.
  • Sections between the 12th and 14th floors will be cordoned off while demolition continues elsewhere, the government’s legal department said.
  • Families filed a pre-action letter seeking a judicial review of the decision not to retain any material from above the ninth floor.
  • During pre-demolition visits, relatives found handprints on stairwell walls and an Arabic inscription, with the writing between floors 17 and 18 already destroyed.
  • Grenfell Next of Kin cites a 2025 assurance from then–housing secretary Angela Rayner about preserving parts for a memorial and urges protection pending talks with designers.