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Camberwell fire family back push for super-inquest
Peter Dominiczak4 Aug 2009
The father of one of the victims of the Camberwell tower block fire today welcomed Harriet Harman's push for a “super-inquest” into the blaze.
Phillip Hickman, whose daughter Catherine was killed on 3 July in Lakanal House along with five others, said the inquest could provide his family with the answers they need to “finally get some closure”.
Ms Hickman, 31, a successful fashion designer whose client list included singers Kylie Minogue and Bjork, died in her flat on the eleventh floor of the building.
Her 63-year-old father today said Harriet Harman had told him and his wife Veronica, 62, of her plans for the inquest during a visit to Downing Street last week.
Mr Hickman, a farmer, said: “I'm hoping Harriet Harman is going to take this forward for us. Hopefully we will finally get some closure. I believe that we will get our answers in the end and Ms Harman gave us assurances when we met her that she would push for a full inquiry.”
He said his family are still coming to terms with Catherine's death.
“It has been incredibly hard for us. It doesn't seem to get any better and I still feel all sorts of emotions,” he said. “I'd like to push the inquiry on, but I want it done properly. I don't want it to take years for us to start getting answers.”
Mr Hickman said he hoped any super-inquest would prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future.
He said: “It will be lucky if something like Lakanal does not happen again. Hopefully a super-inquest will prevent another terrible tragedy.”
Other residents of the block who survived welcomed the idea but criticised Southwark Council for keeping them in “unsuitable” temporary accommodation since the blaze.
Rasheed Nuhu, his wife and two young daughters were all trapped in a bathroom on the eleventh floor of the building during the fire. He said: “An inquest will hopefully get to the bottom of what happened on that fateful day. We need answers. We were trapped in that toilet with people who died and are all very traumatised,” he said.
He said his family are still staying in a small room in a Crystal Palace bed and breakfast.
“This is an unsuitable place to live. My wife and I have to sleep on the floor at night. We just can't cope in such a small room,” he said. “We've told the council but it seems like this is going to be indefinite. We just can't understand why we are still here.”
Former Lakanal House resident Femi Adesola, 40, said: “There has to be an inquest to make sure there can be no cover-up. Some residents are really upset about the way they are being treated by the council. Some are still being kept in accommodation with no means of cooking for themselves.”
A spokesman for Southwark Council said: “The council has done everything it can to rehouse the families of Lakanal House in the most appropriate temporary accommodation, but is happy to move any family out of bed and breakfast accommodation should they request this. At the same time the council has made offers of permanent accommodation to nearly every tenant and has put them on the priority housing list.”
Reader views (8)
Matt, I am sorry but just read the comments of the survivors on the day as to how they got out of this place. The idea that fires can´t be fought with water because they force hot gases inside is an odd notion when the brigade knew people were cowering behind bathroom doors. The Swedish fire brigade showed years ago how to deal effectively with fires in confined spaces using water spray to radidly reduce the temperature. On the day I am not aware that the brigade broke down any door and saved anybody. The peole that lived , by all accounts, got the hell out by themselves ignoring instructions to stay put.As to the height of ladders photos show a platform up to the required height but after the fire had burnt itself out.It seems that the requirements to service huge wind turbines has had a side effect of producing platforms of much greater height than previously available.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey, 04/08/2009 18:02
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Jack Spratt, you continually harp on about the fire brigades failure to mount an external rescue in this situation. How do you propose that this is done? Get it into your head, the fire brigade does not have ladders that will reach above the 9th floor. Fighting fires from outside is ineffective, it pushes hot gases back inside, making escape by survivors more difficult, and may spread the fire deeper into the building. It also greatly increases damage due to firefighting water running into otherwise unaffected property. Tackling a fire in this way is an admission that the building has been lost.
You have no idea what problems where encountered by the brigade on the day. The safety advice provided by the fire brigade in these circumstances is sound, provided the fire safety measures in buildings are up to standard. I have been to many fire in high rise buildings and in most the occupants of neighbouring flats are largely unaware that anything is going on. The reason the fire spread so rapidly in this building and how that hampered crews attempting to access certain areas is a real cause for concern and should be the main focus of any investigation.
Any suggestion that the fire brigade stood back and watched people die is simply offensive. There may have been many firefighters standing by outside the building, they are there as a reserve to support the operations of crews working inside.
- Matt, London, 04/08/2009 14:12
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Harparson inquest will find any men involved guilty.
[unless they are loony left of course]
- Kedge, wilts, england, 04/08/2009 13:56
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Here we go again and please allow me... Stop your whingeing and moaning that there are no adequate evacuation routes - just be happy you "underclass" have somewhere to live.
Besides Lambeth Council senior managers have bumper pay increases to meet and have you seen the homes MP's are claiming expenses on. We just don't have the resources to ensure your safety and after looking at our records - you do realise you're behind on your council tax.
- Andre, london, 04/08/2009 12:59
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I am writing this from a flat in Finland. They take fire seriously here and this flat like most others has 2 front doors effectively giving it twice normal fire resistance. For flats above 9th floor in London where the FB will not mount an outside rescue (why not?) it is imperative that some work is done on the front doors. This need not be at great expense but decent doors and surrounds are needed.In Southwark, by all accounts, the fire came in from outside and although families followed advice and stayed in the bathroom it was fruitless. An inquiry is needed to gather advice from all quarters as there is no answer to this if the FB do not change their 9th floor policy. This was a third world tragegy taking place with millions of pounds of resources standing idle.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey, 04/08/2009 12:52
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I have just mailed my MP Dr Roger Berry,to ask ( following the summer recess)if he would consider raising in the House,what part H&S law is playing in loss of life,following the Camberwell fire, where a number of fire appliances, all equiped with rescue equipment, together with trained fire crews failed to attempt a rescue because it was deemed to dangerous, and the death of a pedestrian who,having been struck by a car,and knocked into a roadside ditch,suffering minor injuries,was left to drown in 18 inches of water,whilst Firefighters,Police,and Paramedics again deemed it too dangerous to scramble down a 10 foot ditch to affect a rescue.
- Colin, Bristol, 04/08/2009 11:15
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Why does everyone in this country rush to demand an inquest evry time anything happens? There was a fire, people died. Tragic, but accidents happen. Are we going to ban all tower blocks? Another waste of money on lawyers and assorted "experts"
- Jon, london, 04/08/2009 11:05
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I do hope that this Super Inquest looks into what part Health and Safety legislation took,in preventing the Fire Service doing the job that we expect,and pay them to do,namely to rescue,or at least try to rescue trapped people,rather than stand back and watch them die.
- Richard, Streatham, 04/08/2009 09:21
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