Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have accused fringe agitators and political groups of exploiting the disaster for their own ends.

Former residents of the block are so dismayed at the self-promoting agendas and militant tactics espoused by some of those claiming to support the victims that they are bypassing outsiders and are in direct contact with Downing Street.

They say that Grenfell, where 71 people died in June in one of Britain’s worst fires, has become a magnet for activists with different aims. An investigation by The Times has discovered that:

• A prominent activists’ group set up after the fire is continuing to inflate the death toll;

• A volunteer network for victims is being run by a conspiracy theorist who claims that