THE fire service in Worcester has held urgent talks with city leaders in response to the London tower block blaze.

Fire crews have been deployed to all high-rise housing across Hereford and Worcester to reassure residents they are not in any danger.

Residents who live in three high-rise buildings in Worcester have today raised concerns about their safety after a blaze tore through 24-floor Grenfell Tower, in west London, killing several people.

Cllr Richard Udall, who represents St John’s, Worcester, says he has received a number of calls from concerned locals prompted by the blaze.

People that live in the tower blocks in St Clement’s Close, Worcester, fear that a similar fire could engulf their buildings.

An urgent meeting was called today to bring together Worcester City Council, the fire service, Fortis Living, and architects DJD and crews have been sent out to offer reassurance.

Fortis, landlord of the tower blocks in St John's, is also assuring residents there is no cause for concern, with fire assesments and drills regularly carried out.

Cllr Udall said: “We need an emergency review of the newly refurbished residential high-rise buildings in St Clement's Close.

“To ensure the cladding, ducting and the flats in general have not been compromised by the recent works and to reassure residents that their fire safety is a priority.

“I am confident that the flats in St John’s are as safe as they could be, they were well built and each flat is designed in order to prevent any fire from spreading.

“Fires have taken place in the past and they have been contained to individual flats and have been dealt with swiftly by the fire service.”

Cllr Udall added that there has been speculation that the cladding on the London tower enabled the fire to spread across the building.

He said there is now concern about whether the cladding on the tower blocks in St John’s is the same as the exterior cladding on Grenfell Tower.

But Fortis Living claim the cladding at the Worcester tower blocks is completely different as it uses a render system, instead of a panel one. 

Steve Vizard, assistant director of investment and assets at Fortis Living, said: “Following the tragic fire at the Grenfell Tower Block, London, our thoughts are with all those affected.

"Please be assured that all fire risk assessments for our high-rise are current and were last completed in April 2017.

"We have also worked closely with Hereford and Worcester Fire Service who have undertaken training events and operational exercises at the scheme in order to respond appropriately.”

Robin Walker, MP for Worcester, described the fire at the tower block in London as 'a tragedy on an enormous scale'. 

"I drive past the tower every week on my commute between Worcester and Westminster and my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected," he said.

"Having spoken to the fire safety officer this morning, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service assured me of a number of plans which are in place to reduce the risk of a similar tragedy occurring in Worcester.

"The cladding on the exterior of the blocks [in St John's] is also of a different material, being a render system as opposed to the aluminium panelling on the Grenfell Tower, which some have suggested may have contributed to the spread of the blaze."

Mr Walker also praised the bravery of the firefighters who responded to the blaze. 

Cllr Adrian Gregson, leader of Worcester City Council, also said his thoughts were with the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.

He said: "It is a terrible tragedy and a shocking thing. One of my first thoughts was 'if I was living in the St John's flats I would be concerned'."

Cllr Gregson said he wants to reassure residents and believes that appropriate checks and reviews at the site will be carried out. 

Mark Preece, Area Commander for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with everyone who has been affected by the tragic fire in London.

"With this incident in mind, we would like to remind people of the actions they can take to ensure that they protect themselves and their families in the event of a fire.

"Working smoke alarms can provide the few vital extra seconds needed to escape in a fire, therefore it is so important that they are kept in working order and tested every week."

"Having an escape plan in the event of an emergency is vital. We would encourage people to prepare and practice their plan of action and ensure that escape routes are clear, which will help ensure a speedy exit.

"It is also important that people living in high-rise buildings are aware and familiar with the buildings evacuation procedure."

A spokesman for Fortis Living added that they carry out high-rise fire risk assessments every year.

They said that recent refurbishment work was done in consultation with the fire service and noted that there are firebreaks on every floor. 

There is also a fully integrated fire alarm system in the blocks and no gas supplies and installations are present at the site.

Each Worcester fire crew carries out drills at the towers in St John's every year and emergency plans relating to the buildings are reviewed at least twice a year.