London tower block fire safety fears: Thousands evacuated from Camden homes

Thousands of people have been displaced after they were evacuated from their high-rise homes in London with many facing another night of uncertainty over where they will stay.

Council leader Georgia Gould told Sky News she had to act after fire safety fears were raised over four tower blocks in Camden, north London.

It saw 650 homes on the Chalcots Estate evacuated on Friday evening with less than an hour's notice.

Some 83 households have refused to leave their homes and the council has warned they will be forced to leave because the building is not safe.

It comes as the Government says 27 high-rise blocks of flats in 15 local authority areas have failed fire cladding safety tests in the wake of the deadly Grenfell fire disaster.

Ms Gould said Camden Council has committed £100,000 of funds to pay for food, refreshments and other essential items which displaced residents need. This is on top of £500,000 already spent on hotel rooms for those affected.

Emotions have been running high in north London, with many residents complaining about having to leave their homes at such short notice.

Dozens of residents have refused to evacuate, with both Camden Council and the London Fire Brigade advising "in the strongest possible terms" for those still inside their buildings to take up temporary accommodation.

Ms Gould has warned that the council may explore "legal routes" which would force people to leave their homes.

"We need to get the buildings empty so we can worth with our partners to start the work to make these tower blocks safe, so that everyone can return to their normal lives as soon as possible," she said.

:: Evacuated resident, 72, 'absolutely stressed'

Affected homeowners have been given the chance to return to their homes to collect belongings under the watchful eye of security staff.

The blocks had been evacuated following news that cladding used on the Chalcots Estate was similar to that which spread the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington earlier this month.

Responding to mounting criticism over Camden's handling of the evacuation, Sajid Javid, the Communities and Local Government minister told Sky News: "After the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it is vital we carry out checks and make sure people are safe.

"The the local fire safety authority found alongside the cladding problem, which is a serious problem, multiple fire safety failures, including, for example, insulation of gas pipes, fire doors missing, plywood above doors and that's what makes Camden different and why the decision was made to evacuate."