Grenfell Fire: Town Hall has lost trust of residents, warns London Mayor

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called for commissioners to take over the running of Kensington and Chelsea Council after its leader and deputy leader tendered their resignations in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Picture: David Mirzoeff/PA Wire

London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for commissioners to take over the running of Kensington and Chelsea Council after its leader and deputy leader tendered their resignations in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Nicholas Paget-Brown said he had to share responsibility for "perceived failings" by the authority in the aftermath of the tragedy which claimed at least 80 lives.

His deputy, Rock Feilding-Mellen, also intends to stand down from the council, which also lost its chief executive Nicholas Holgate, following a barrage of criticism over the authority's response to the fire.

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Mr Khan, who welcomed the resignation, said the Government had "no option" but to appoint "untainted" commissioners who had "a genuine empathy for local people and the situation they face" to take over running the authority.

He said: "The council now needs to find a way to move forward and find a way to restore the confidence in that community.

"That can only be done with new leadership and a new approach that reaches out to residents who quite rightly feel desperately neglected.

"I ... feel the response from the council and subsequent breakdown in trust is so severe that there is now no alternative and the Government needs to step in quickly."

Commissioners were brought in to run Tower Hamlets Council in 2014, following a critical independent report into the council's award of grants and sale of properties under former mayor Lutfur Rahman.

It comes as Jeremy Corbyn said he has written to Prime Minister Theresa May urging her to increase the scope of the public inquiry.