Politican accusesNHS Harrow of ignoring safety warnings over disused clinic prior to blaze

A HEALTHCARE trust was accused of ignoring warnings over the safety of a disused clinic that burnt down on Tuesday evening.

Kenmore Clinic, in Kenmore Road, Kenton, was the scene of the blaze that saw 20 fire-fighters and 4 fire engines battled to control the flames for nearly two hours.

The single-floor building, which sustained damage to the ground floor and roof, was clased down by NHS Harrow in December 2008 over safety concerns..

Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow and leader of the Labour group on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said the fire was avoidable after he warned the, Mark Easton, NHS Harrow chief executive, that the building should be knocked down.

He said: “The health authority shouldn’t say they weren’t warned about this.

“I met with Mark Easton at the beginning of September and asked him to look into the demolition of the disused building and clearing the site because of the issue of safety.

“I’m appalled that this issue has been ignored for over two years since the clinic was closed. I demand immediate steps to be taken to clear the site and secure it before there is another disaster.”

NHS Harrowrefused to answer questions as to why the site had not been cleared and made safe since its closure or if there were any plans to do so.

However a spokesman said: “NHS Harrow understands that the London Fire Brigade is currently investigating the cause of the fire. We are eager to know what happened and will be able to comment further at that stage.”

London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire was unknown and is investigating the matter.