Concerns have been raised that a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire could potentially be a “whitewash” as it will be Government-led and as such will not have the independence of an inquest.

More than 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for an inquest to be held instead of a public inquiry, which Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Thursday.

The solicitor who represented bereaved relatives in the inquests following the Lakanal House fire said she believed the sudden decision to call a public inquiry was a deliberate attempt to avoid close scrutiny of the various public bodies involved in the running and maintenance of Grenfell Tower.

Grefnell Tower fire protest reaches Downing Street

Sophie Khan told the BBC’s Newsnight: “In an inquest, they lose control of what a jury verdict will do. The juries will come out with narrative verdicts which may be very difficult for the Government to hear.

“You can’t have both, you can only have one or the other.”

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementís Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

An inquest into the death would almost certainly have been jury-led because of the possible involvement of public bodies in the deaths, and guided by a coroner who acts independently of the Government. But inquests do not go ahead once a public inquiry has been announced.

The petition on change.org states: “Theresa May’s decision to carry out a public inquiry into the Grenfell tragedy ensures that the Government has control over any uncomfortable revelations about the negligence and poor planning of the Grenfell estate by the Tory-run Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

“Bu choosing a PUBLIC INQUIRY the government protects itself as well as those who should be held accountable. It also blocks any possibility of an INQUEST from taking place: the necessary process would unearth the true causes of the fire for the public interest.”

Started by Andrew Gow, the petition urges signees to: “Prevent the Government from whitewashing the truth and keeping the UK’s planning and regulation laws in the dark ages any longer. Stand with the residents of Grenfell as well as the residents of the UK’s 4,000 other tower blocks and make sure this does not happen again.”

Protesters try to storm Kensington and Chelsea town hall

In a public inquiry, surviving residents of the fire and bereaved families will not have the right to participate and ask questions.

In an inquest, they would be able to question the coroner and witnesses and even to call their own expert witnesses with agreement. An inquest is not a trial, although criminal proceedings can result from their findings and from the findings of public inquiries.

Multiple private and public organisations will be probed at the inquiry, with the question as to how the fire was able to engulf the entire tower so quickly at the forefront of people’s minds.

With the death toll almost certain to rise above the figure of 30 already confirmed, the instruction given to residents to remain in their flats will be examined.

Former housing ministers are likely to come under scrutiny after it emerged reports recommending the installation of sprinklers into tower blocks were sat on. Kensington and Chelsea council, which owned the 24-story building, will be one of the public bodies with questions to answer, as will the company KCTMO, which managed the tower on the council’s behalf.

And private companies, including the building companies and sub-contractors who carried out recent renovations to the tower, and the manufacturer of the cladding suspected of having caused the rapid spread of the fire, will also be under investigation.

London Fire Brigade will also have to explain its actions after residents were instructed to remain in their flats after the blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning.

The public inquiry was announced amid growing public anger after the initial shock of the fire. A police-led investigation into the fire is currently ongoing and it is likely to be some time until the inquiry takes place.

Ms May said: “Right now people want answers, and it’s absolutely right, and that’s why I am today ordering a full public inquiry into this disaster. We need to know what happened; we need to have an explanation of this, we owe that to the families. To the people who have lost loved ones, friends, and the homes in which they lived.”

An inquest was carried out into the six deaths in the 2009 Lakanal House fire in Southwark, but the recommendations of the coroner - including the installation of sprinklers - were not acted on by a majority of councils, including Kensington and Chelsea. Southwark Council was subsequently taken to court for being in breach of safety regulations by the London Fire Brigade and fined £570,000.

The Lakanal families’ solicitor Ms Khan said: “Questions have to be asked as to how, after a very detailed inquest, a narrative verdict and a rule 43 report to the Government, why this could happen again.”

She said she did not believe a public inquiry is the best way to get to the truth of the matter.

“That’s not the right way. The right way is inquests. The families have a right to participate, they have a right to cross-examine, they have the right to out questions to all the experts, they are even able to get their own experts if the coroner gives permission.”

She added: “The Coroner is independent of the Government. In a public inquiry, it is very much Government-led, Government controlled, Government outcome.”

Ms Kahn said that in her view, the tragedy of Grenfell Tower was “avoidable” had sprinklers been fitted to the flats.

“The sprinkler, even though they wouldn’t have saved the building, they would have saved the people inside the building. It would have given them time to get out,” she said.