ONE of the worst fires this country has witnessed will be commemorated next week as aA vigil will take place in Swindon next week to mark the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.

The event will be held at 6pm on Thursday at the Cenotaph in Regent Circus to remember the 71 people who died in the fire in London.

Organised by the Swindon People’s Assembly, the candlelit vigil is inviting people of all backgrounds to take part.

Tony Hillier, one of the organisers, said: “The turnout for the six-month anniversary was tremendous and I think it will be even bigger for the one year one.

“This is about remembering that awful night when 71 innocent people lost their lives.

“We want to highlight the solidarity with the people living with the effects of the Grenfell fire.

“I think everyone is behind this and supports them in their campaign for justice”.

Tony added: “We realise that though this awful event happened a hundred miles away in London, it could just as easily have been in any other town or city across the country, including our own.”

The campaign group Justice for Grenfell is calling on communities all around the country to come together on June 14 in solidarity with the survivors.

Banners were unveiled at the top part of the tower-including one with a green heart, with only a week left till the anniversary of the disaster.

The majority of the charred remains of the tower have been covered with white sheeting, and there is an expectation it will be fully covered in time for commemorations next week, although it is understood banners will appear on all four sides of the tower, covering the top four floors.

Campaigners say 50 per cent of survivors and displaced families are still in emergency accommodation - and they say 300 tower blocks across the country are still covered in the dangerous cladding used on Grenfell Tower.

Serious fire safety concerns had been raised by residents at Grenfell prior to the disaster, though no steps had been taken to address them.

The fire was made worse by the presence of highly flammable cladding on the side of the building.

In total, 250 firefighters from 70 fire engines attempted to control the blaze, which raged for 60 hours.

A similar vigil was held in Swindon in December to mark six months since the fire.