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

A row of such homes in Moss Hall Grove in Finchley was destroyed in June when a fire spread rapidly across the terrace. Photograph: London fire brigade

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”.