- Credit: Charles Thomson
Camden Council deleted emails from a whistleblower who raised serious concerns during the refurbishment of the Chalcots estate.
The man, who worked on the project, told officials in 2008 that he had evidence supporting some of his claims.
But the Ham&High has learned the emails were deleted – and Camden will not say whether they were ever investigated.
Nine years later, on June 23, 2017 – after the Grenfell Tower disaster – more than 2,000 residents were evacuated after a fire inspection concluded the estate's tower blocks were too dangerous to live in.
It found “serious defects”, including flammable cladding and inadequate fire doors and fire stopping.
The result was Britain's largest evacuation since World War Two, with 636 households temporarily displaced.
On the fifth anniversary of the evacuation, the council was poised this week to finally begin a public inquiry into the safety failings.
But the Ham&High has learned that a large amount of evidence has likely already been destroyed.
- Credit: Charles Thomson
Deleted
In 2008, a man who worked on the project sent a string of emails to councillors, council officers and some residents, making serious allegations which cannot be published for legal reasons.
The Ham&High used Freedom of Information laws to ask Camden for copies of all emails sent to the council by the whistleblower.
But Camden replied saying it had no emails at all from the whistleblower.
“This is because we do not...
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