THE furious families of Grenfell fire victims have slammed the BBC over an upcoming series dramatising the tragedy.
They are demanding that the Beeb show them a preview of the show amid fears of misrepresentation and that it will be "hurtful".
The 2017 blaze claimed the lives of 72 residents of the 24-storey tower block in Kensington, West London.
Now, a petition calling on the national broadcaster to cancel the planned drama, written and directed by BAFTA-winner Peter Kosminsky, has reached nearly 60,000 signatures.
Locals of the area around Grenfell, as well as the relatives of those who died, have joined the condemnation.
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Shah Aghlani, who lost his mother and aunt to the inferno, told The Mirror: "Nobody has consulted me.
"I won’t be watching. It is too hurtful to go through it again.
"Anything that triggers the memories is not good."
Meanwhile, Abbas Dadou, who chairs the Lancaster West Residents Association, said: "It would be good if the BBC could show it to the community first.
"If there are things not correct, they can put it right."
The BBC has insisted that the series, due in 2025, will provide a "comprehensive account of events".
The fire is the subject of a number of investigations, most notably an ongoing public inquiry.
The inquiry is in its second phase, which was delayed by the pandemic and will report on issues ranging from the response of the London Fire Brigade to the way residents' complaints were handled by the building's management.
However, its first phase report in 2019 found that the cladding on the tower "acted as a source of fuel" for the deadly blaze.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We are extremely mindful of the impact that a project of this nature can have on those whose lives have been personally affected by Grenfell, and this factual drama will be made with the utmost sensitivity and respect.
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"Producers were in touch with many community groups and individuals before the series was announced and have interviewed a wide range of people over an extended period of time.
"Writer and director Peter Kosminsky won’t start writing until after the inquiry delivers its final report.
" The drama will draw on over five years of detailed research and will encompass the months leading up to the fire, its immediate aftermath and the period since, including the accommodation and rehousing issues faced by survivors and families.
"It will ask how this terrible tragedy was able to occur, and what we can learn to ensure the events at Grenfell can never happen again."
