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Five men arrested over video showing Grenfell Tower effigy burning on bonfire

Five men have been arrested in England on suspicion of a public order offence, after a video show...
Newstalk
Newstalk

08.03 6 Nov 2018


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Five men arrested over video s...

Five men arrested over video showing Grenfell Tower effigy burning on bonfire

Newstalk
Newstalk

08.03 6 Nov 2018


Share this article


Five men have been arrested in England on suspicion of a public order offence, after a video showed an effigy of Grenfell Tower being burned.

Officers said they arrested two 49-year-olds, a 55-year-old, another man aged 46 and a 19-year-old after they handed themselves in to a London police station on Monday night.

The blaze at the apartment block last June killed 72 people.

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It comes after British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the video, calling it "utterly unacceptable".

The footage showed a large flammable model marked "Grenfell Tower" - complete with paper figures of people at their windows before it was set on fire.

Responding to the clip, Mrs May tweeted: "To disrespect those who lost their lives at Grenfell Tower, as well as their families and loved ones, is utterly unacceptable."

In the video, members of the group can be heard laughing and shouting "help me, help me".

As the fire climbs up their effigy, one of the people question whether they should have put the tower on upside down, because the fire started on the 10th floor.

One person shouts "jump out the window" while another offers "stay in your flats".

At one point, another voice can seemingly be heard mimicking an ambulance siren - and another voice says: "That's what happens when they don't pay their rent".

Fire can be seen climbing the mock building as paper figures look out windows 

London's Scotland Yard said its Grenfell Tower investigation team was "taking this matter very seriously", adding: "Any offences that have been committed will be fully investigated."

Commander Stuart Cundy said: "I am frankly appalled by the callous nature of the video posted online.

"So many people lost so many loved ones, and many more have been deeply affected. To mock that disaster in such a crude way is vile."

London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton described the footage as "appalling and disturbing", adding it "cannot be justified on any level".


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