Grenfell fire: focus shifts to possible criminal convictions as inquiry ends

Criminal trials may not start before 2025 and government pledges have not yet been delivered

• Every death was avoidable': Grenfell Tower inquiry closes after 400 days

The end of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry after 400 days of evidence shifts the spotlight to Scotland Yard. Key protagonists - including former officials at the landlord body that oversaw the refurbishment - are under investigation for serious criminal offences as part of the Met police's Operation Northleigh investigation into the fire, which involves 180 dedicated officers and detectives.

Criminal convictions and jail sentences are strongly desired by bereaved and survivors but any criminal trials may not start before 2025, more than seven years after the disaster, the Guardian understands.