Published: Friday 31 August 2018
31 August 2018
A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: "We take fraud very seriously and we have always taken action to root out Grenfell fraud wherever it takes place.
"Over many months our fraud team has worked with the police to build cases and push for prosecutions against anyone who sought to take advantage of last year's terrible tragedy.
"On this occasion it was one of our own members of staff who managed to defraud the Council by getting past our own systems and processes. This is both shocking and unforgivable.
"We discovered the fraud and took action straight away, including strengthening our internal processes. We apologise to the survivors and families for any distress this may cause."
Following media reports this morning, the Council would also like to make clear that no money or donations were taken from Grenfell families or survivors.
Money was taken from the Council that had been earmarked to help families and survivors, but this in no way hindered our efforts to make sure they received direct financial support.
The Council also discovered the issue itself and reported it to the police for investigation.