Grenfell Tower will be covered in protective wrap to shield 'open coffin' from view of local residents

At least 79 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire (Rex)
At least 80 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire (Rex)

Grenfell Tower will be covered in a protective wrap to shield it from the view of local residents who described it as an ‘open coffin’.

At a public meeting last night, site manager Michael Lockwood confirmed that the building would be covered after the devastating blaze last month claimed the lives of over 80 people.

He also confirmed that the demolition of the doomed housing block is expected to begin ‘towards the end of 2018’, while the recovery operation will continue until November this year.

The covering is expected to largely consist of scaffolding – which Mr Lockwood claims will aid the efforts of aid workers in demolishing the building.

At least 80 people died after Grenfell Tower was devastated by a huge blaze (Rex)
The shell of Grenfell Tower will be covered (Rex)

He said: ‘I think that to be honest, the building will stay up throughout 2018.

‘Then towards the end of 2018, I think we could start to bring it down, if that is what the community wants, and the scaffolding will help us to do that because we can do that within the wrap.’

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Speaking to the Guardian last month, one resident likened the burnt-out shell to an ‘open coffin’.

More recently, it was confirmed that recovery experts who helped to discover remains after the 9/11 attack have been drafted in to help investigators search through debris.

Residents nearby have also claimed that children living close to the tower block are not receiving enough support – with some experiencing frequent night terrors as they come to terms with the events of the tragic blaze.