120 tower blocks have now failed the  cladding safety tests

Theresa May promised  “major national Investigation” into the widespread use of flammable cladding on residential tower blocks.

The newly elected Labour Mp Emma Dent Coad for Kensington complained that England’s building regulations had been “watered down”. to suit the fat cat developers and contractors.

Even the Germany city of Wuppertal ordered the evacuation of a building that turned out to have similar combustible exterior cladding to Grenfell Tower.

The British government has ordered tests on cladding used to improve the energy efficiency of about 600 residential tower blocks in England, amid fears that the combustible materials could spread the fire up buildings’ sides, as appears to have happened in the Grenfell blaze.

120 tower blocks in 37 English local authorities have now failed safety tests for flammability, leading to concerns about building standards and how well they have been policed.

However, in Scotland, no social housing was fitted with dangerous cladding due to the country’s different building regulations and enforcement regime.

The laidback enforcement of building control rules in England has had a severe impact on the quality of both new buildings and renovations.

In the meanwhile, US maker of Grenfell Cladding is to halt the sale of the flammable version of high rise buildings. The company decision was based on the fact that the inconsistency of building codes across the world and allowed non-fire resistant panels were allowed on UK high rises.

Arconic, a specialised metals company formed in the break-up of Alcoa last year, makes three types of Reynobond panels for claddings: One with flammable polyethylene (PE) core, a second with a fire-retardant core and a third with a non-combustible core. The first type was cheap and was fitted to Grenfell Tower when it was refurbished in 2015-16. These panels are banned in US and Germany.

Arconic shares fell 11.3 per cent at the opening of New York trading before paring losses.