Serious questions are being raised about a London council after three men died in a fire at a neglected building owned by the local authority. Around 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines responded to the blaze in White City just before 7pm last Saturday. Two men died at the scene, and a third later died in hospital. The Metropolitan Police is investigating.
Community anger over council's response
Residents and friends of the deceased are asking why the building, located in the heart of the estate next to a school, had not been brought back into use and maintained by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. A council spokesperson expressed "deepest condolences" and said they are supporting the police and London Fire Brigade with the investigation.
The former Over 50s Centre, a single-storey building next to the White City Community Centre, was built in the 1980s. It was initially run by the council and later by the White City Residents' Association (WCRA). Around a decade ago, the council closed it, after which it was occupied by homeless people. It was later managed under a guardianship scheme that ended in 2024. After the guardians left, homeless individuals moved in again. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands the men who died had been squatting and that the council knew of their presence. A council housing office is next door.
Fundraising and investigation
A GoFundMe page has been set up to repatriate one of the men's bodies to his family abroad and to cover funeral costs. While he has been named locally, the Met Police has not released any names due to difficulties contacting next of kin. The cause of the fire is unconfirmed, but lithium batteries found at the scene are a line of enquiry.
At a WCRA meeting, two friends of the deceased said the council was aware of the squatters and urged more support. Residents questioned the council's management and its response. Many were upset by a council notification stating "no residents of the White City Estate were hurt in the fire," which they said showed a lack of compassion for the deceased, who were living on the estate, and ignored witnesses, including teenagers attending a prom at the nearby St John XXIII Catholic Primary School.
Community calls for accountability
Harry Audley, a long-time resident and former WCRA chair, said he was "deeply moved" by the community's response, which included fundraising to repatriate the deceased and providing support. He said many were disappointed with the council's attempt to distance itself from the occupants. Audley noted that residents had repeatedly proposed ways to restore the building over a decade, but those efforts were ignored. "It is incredibly sad that three people had to lose their lives before the council committed to restore and reopen the building," he said. He called for a transparent investigation and honest answers about decisions that led to the building's neglect.
The WCRA stated that the meeting highlighted "fundamental questions of responsibility, mismanagement, accountability and culpability," asking why the council neglected the building and other spaces in White City. The Met Police is working with international partners to notify next of kin, and a scene remains in place as investigations continue.
