A council leader has issued a statement to mark the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Today (Sunday) marks three years since a small kitchen fire in the west London high-rise turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since World War II.

The fire claimed 72 lives and more than 70 other people were injured.

Cllr Dan Thomas, leader of Barnet Council, says the fire remains a “tragedy that casts a long shadow”.

He continued: “We remember those who sadly perished, and our thoughts and wishes are with their families and friends on this difficult day.

“We are doing everything in our power to prevent a similar tragedy ever happening in our borough. Barnet, like many other local authorities, has done a great amount of work in the past three years, ensuring additional fire safety measures are in place to try and ensure we never encounter an incident of this scale and devastation ever again.

“Following Grenfell, we immediately commissioned a full programme of fire safety works across our council housing including the installation of sprinklers and alarm systems.

“We have also removed ACM cladding from three of the borough’s high-rise tower blocks. We will continue to deliver this programme of works to ensure the safety and peace of mind of our residents.”

Barnet Council has currently invested £52 million in fire safety improvement works across council housing stock, including installing sprinklers and alarm systems in tower blocks, sheltered housing schemes and hostels.

Some £19.5m of this has already been spent, with a total of £34.5m due to be spent by the end of 2020-21.

Barnet Homes Fire Safety Team is also making "significant" progress in its five-year programme of works, which includes the installation of new fire doors, sprinklers, and heating systems in its largest estates.