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Grenfell victims’ anger as Government housing deadline passes

Three weeks on from the Grenfell Tower fire and hundreds of residents are still living in emergency accommodation after refusing offers of temporary housing.

The authority responsible for managing the relief operation, the Grenfell Response Team, has confirmed 139 offers of housing have been made but only nine have been accepted.

There are 19 families who asked not to be contacted, some are too traumatised or are out of the country.

Prime Minister Theresa May promised to offer good quality temporary accommodation to all those displaced within three weeks, a deadline which runs out on Wednesday, and a target the Government says has been met.

Those on the ground in North Kensington paint a different story.

Antonio Roncolato and his son, Christopher, lived in a flat on the 10th floor for almost 30 years.

On the night of the fire Antonio was trapped for more than five hours before being rescued by firefighters.

“I tried to leave a few times but the smoke was too thick,” he said.

“Christopher was outside the whole time watching and keeping me updated on the phone with information from the firefighters. I was terrified but I also knew I had to remain focused.”

Antonio and Christopher are currently living in their second hotel, after refusing two offers of temporary accommodation because it was too far out of the borough or simply not suitable.

“We want a place we can call home. There is no point in the Prime Minister making promises, it needs to be realistic and sincere. We feel like we’ve been taken for a ride.” (SKYNEWS)

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