Fears of new UK cladding crisis after blaze destroys timber-frame homes

Barnet council finds 580 houses with similar panels that can spread fire and warns they are tip of the iceberg'

A London council has warned of a potential new national fire safety crisis after it discovered hundreds of low-rise timber-frame homes had been fitted with plastic cladding that can spread fire.

Barnet council has alerted the government and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, that other homeowners in similar properties across the country could be affected. It said the 580 homes that needed fixing in its area were the tip of the iceberg".