Cladding on thousands of tower blocks across the UK is to be tested following the fire at Grenfell Tower.

At least 79 people are missing or presumed dead after a fire ripped through the building on the Lancaster West estate in north Kensington on Wednesday, 14 June.

As part of the investigation into the blaze, landlords and local authorities across the country have now been ordered to check whether tower blocks in their areas have cladding on them similar to those used at Grenfell Tower.

In addition, councils which have properties over 18-metres-high with aluminium composite material cladding must supply samples of the panels to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) for testing, to establish whether the panels are fire resistant.

In a recent email to all local authority and housing association chief executives, DCLG permanent secretary Melanie Dawes said: "The Grenfell Tower police-led investigation is underway, but it will be some time before we fully understand how the fire started or why it took hold in the way it did. We know that in the meantime there is significant anxiety amongst residents about whether their own blocks are safe.

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"There has been much public concern and comment about potential flaws in the cladding that was on Grenfell Tower. While the exact reasons for the speed of the spread of fire have yet to be determined, we have concluded that there are additional tests that can be undertaken with regard to the cladding. We are therefore asking local authorities and other registered providers of social housing to identify whether any panels used in new build or refurbishment are a particular type of cladding made of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

"It is important to stress that ACM cladding is not of itself dangerous, but it is important that the right type is used.

"If you identify that cladding on any of your buildings is made of ACM, then a sample will need to be tested. We have put in place a testing process for any samples, which will be at no cost to local authorities and housing associations."

In an update on the criminal investigation into the fire, Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy confirmed 79 people are either dead of missing, with five of those having been formally identified.

He said: "The scale of this investigation is truly significant and we are looking at all criminal offences that may have been committed and from day one have worked closely with London Fire Brigade, the Health and Safety Executive and a wide range of specialists.

"The investigation will be exhaustive to identify how the fire started and how it spread. The investigation will look at how - but more importantly why this happened. It will be far reaching - in a number of areas including how the building was managed and maintained, fire safety measures and the refurbishment that was reported to have finished in 2014.

"Our search and recovery operation at Grenfell Tower is going to take weeks and I would ask for the public to bear that in mind as we go about a truly important operation to recover those that have died."

(LM/MH)