Premier Inn 'extremely concerned' about cladding at three of its hotels

Premier Inn has said it is "extremely concerned" about cladding on three of its hotels in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

The hotel chain believes that the three hotels, in Maidenhead, Brentford and Tottenham, "do not appear" to meet required safety standards.

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A flammable material in the cladding used on Grenfell Tower is thought to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, in which at least 79 people died.

The Telegraph reports that around 600 high rise blocks covered in cladding in England are undergoing tests to see if the panels contain the same flammable substance that Grenfell did.

Councils have been told to move all residents if buildings are deemed unsafe by the fire brigade. The paper adds that this could lead to the first mass evacuation since the Second World War, with hotel rooms and other accommodation being sourced.

And the cladding concerns are also being raised outside the housing sector.

Premier Inn said developers on the three hotels in question had used aluminium composite external cladding that didn't appear to comply with government rules for tall buildings. It added that the cladding appeared to be a less flammable product than the one used at Grenfell Tower.

According to the BBC, a Premier Inn spokesperson said: "We were extremely concerned to learn that they had used a cladding that does not appear to comply with recognised government guidance on compliance with the Building Regulations for use in high rise buildings and are seeking to address this with the developers."

The hotel chain added that an independent expert assured them that the hotels were safe to stay open thanks to "robust" safety measures like fire detectors and smoke alarms in every room.