Updated June 22, 2017 23:20:20

Photo: Protestors have expressed anger at the government response to the Grenfell disaster. (AP: Tim Ireland)

An estimated 600 high-rise buildings in England contain cladding similar to that used on a London tower block which caught fire, killing at least 79 people, Prime Minister Theresa May's office says.

Police and fire officials are trying to determine whether aluminium composite panels on the Grenfell Tower contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze, which engulfed the 24-story building in less than an hour.

"The estimate provided to us by councils is that there are approximately 600 high-rise buildings with similar cladding," Ms May's spokeswoman told reporters.

The Government had no estimates yet for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, she said.

Testing on cladding has so far found three tower blocks to have combustible panels.

"The relevant local authorities and local fire services have been informed, and, as I speak, they are taking all possible steps to ensure buildings are safe and to inform affected residents," Ms May said.

Ms May encouraged the owners, both public and private, of tower blocks around the country to quickly forward samples of any similar material for testing.

The Government will work with local authorities to make sure any dangerous material is removed and residents are safe, she said.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said it would not identify the buildings with combustible panels until landlords have had the opportunity to inform tenants.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn called for urgent checks on around 4,000 buildings as Britain comes to grips with the potential ramifications of the disaster.

Thousands need urgent assurances about their own safety, he said.

"At least 79 people are dead — it is both a tragedy and an outrage because every single one of those deaths could and should have been avoided," Mr Corbyn said.

Kensington and Chelsea council CEO resigns

Nicholas Holgate, chief executive of the Kensington and Chelsea council where the Grenfell Tower is, had come under intense pressure following last week's blaze.

Now he has resigned, saying he was forced out by Ms May's Government.

Photo: Former CEO Nicholas Holgate said Sajid Javid (pictured) pressured council officials to seek his resignation. (Reuters: Hannah McKay)

Mr Holgate said in a statement that Communities Minister Sajid Javid had pressured other council officials to seek his resignation.

"Despite my wish to have continued, in very challenging circumstances, to lead on the executive responsibilities of the council, I have decided that it is better to step down from my role, once an appropriate successor has been appointed," he said.

Ms May said support for families in the initial hours after the fire was not good enough.

"That was a failure of the state, local and national, to help people when they needed it most," she told Parliament.

"As Prime Minister, I apologise for that failure and as Prime Minister, I've taken responsibility for doing what we can to put things right."

Reuters/AP

Topics: industrial-fires, local-government, death, world-politics, united-kingdom, european-union

First posted June 22, 2017 20:15:36