Some 34 high-rise buildings, including towers in Brent and Hounslow , have failed fire cladding safety tests after the Grenfell Tower disaster , the government has said.

The announcement came as around 3,000 residents of the Chalcots Estate in Camden face weeks in temporary accommodation after four tower blocks were evacuated.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said testing of potentially combustible cladding "is running around the clock".

He added: "So far the cladding from 34 high-rise buildings, in 17 local authority areas, has failed the combustibility test."

Mr Javid confirmed buildings to have failed the tests were located variously in Manchester, Camden, Plymouth, Hounslow, Portsmouth, Barnet and Brent.

He also stressed "cladding itself is not dangerous" and that a failure in testing does not necessarily mean a building will be evacuated.

Explaining the decision as to why the Chalcots Estate was evacuated, he said: "The decision by Camden Council to evacuate four of the five towers on the Chalcots Estate was because the failed testing of the external cladding was compounded by multiple other fire safety failures which the fire inspection team found within the buildings."

Aftermath photos of Grenfell Tower show destroyed cladding on the exterior of the building

The "extraordinary action" to clear 600 flats was defended by Camden Council leader Georgia Gould because "we are really clear that those four blocks are safe".

Despite being urged to leave by officials, around 20 households had refused to vacate their homes in Taplow, Burnham, Bray and Dorney by Saturday evening (June 24).

She said: "There are various legal routes that Camden Council could explore to require people to leave their homes, however, we really don't want to do this."

London Fire Brigade inspecting officers identified concerns over the combination of external cladding, fire doors, gas pipes and insulation, she added.

Search and rescue teams work inside the gutted Grenfell Tower

The refurbishment at the Chalcots Estate was overseen by Rydon, the same company involved in the refit of Grenfell tower , and cost approximately £66million.

On Thursday (June 22), Hounslow Council was alerted by the Department for Communities and Local Government the cladding on Cranford Tower had failed a combustion test.

The council confirmed they are taking necessary steps to removing the cladding.

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