No decision on Grenfell criminal charges until late 2026, police say

Stuart Cundy, deputy assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said it was “one of the largest and most complex investigations ever undertaken by the Met”. 

He added: “The scale and legal complexity is immense. We have been working since the night of the fire to leave no stone unturned in our investigation into what happened.” 

However, he acknowledged the delays to decisions being made. 

“We have updated the bereaved and survivors with our expected timescales and we know how long this sounds, on top of the very long time they have already waited,” Mr Cundy said. 

More than 27,000 exhibits have been collected, including cladding, insulation, doors, windows and other parts of the building, such as screws, nuts and bolts, the police said.

Around 12,000 witness statements have also been taken.

A team of 180 police officers and staff are working on the investigation, the Met Police said. 

The second phase report from the public inquiry into the fire, which looked at decisions made prior to the tragedy, has also been delayed and is not expected before the seventh anniversary this summer.  

The Metropolitan Police said it will then take between “at least” 12 to 18 months to “fully assess” the Grenfell Inquiry’s report and complete evidential files to present to the CPS for charging decisions. 

Rosemary Ainslie, head of special crime at the CPS, said: “It is our hope that by the end of 2026, we will be in a position where we are making decisions.

“As you will appreciate it is not possible to provide any timescales on our charging decisions, so we will not be able to give a definitive date on when everything will be completed, but our team of specialist prosecutors will need time to review the final file carefully and thoroughly before making their decisions.”