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More than 800 households in a Camden estate have been told they must evacuate their homes "immediately" amid concerns over the safety of the cladding.

Residents living in five tower blocks on the Chalcots Estate in Swiss Cottage have been ordered to leave their flats and will be housed in temporary accommodation following a safety inspection carried out with London Fire Brigade.

The council said it is undertaking "urgent safety works so that residents can be fully assures of their safety" after it emerged the cladding on the buildings is not fire retardant.

Officials are knocking on the doors of all flats in five towers on the estate - Taplow, Burnham, Bray, Blashford and Dorney - and evacuating them one at a time.

Disgruntled or frightened residents spilled out of the buildings as it began to get dark - some clutching pillows or carrying bags of belongings.

They have been told to seek housing with friends and family and those who are not able to will be offered refuge by the council.

Anyone who needs to return to their home will be able to do so under escort from a fire-fighter.

The works, which were announced following a council meeting with residents on Thursday night, are anticipated to take three to four weeks.

On announcing the decision, Camden Council Leader Georgia Gould said the recent Grenfell Tower blaze "changes everything".

Cllr Gould said: “Camden Council is absolutely determined to ensure that our residents are safe and we have promised them that we will work with them, continue to act swiftly and be open and transparent.

“Today the London Fire Brigade completed a joint inspection of the blocks with Camden Council technical experts.

"Together we decided that the Taplow block needs to be temporarily decanted while we undertake urgent fire safety works so that residents can be fully assured of their safety.

"This means that we need to move residents from their homes and into temporary accommodation.

Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures 37 show all Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures 1/37 A blaze rages through Grenfell Tower block in Notting Hill Jeremy Selwyn 2/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 3/37 Jeremy Selwyn 4/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 5/37 Jeremy Selwyn 6/37 A firefighter investigates a floor after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA 7/37 Exhausted firefighter rest on steps of houses after ours of tackling the blaze Alex Lentati 8/37 Jeremy Selwyn 9/37 10/37 Residents wave frantically at a window during the blaze Nigel Howard 11/37 Emergency personnel operate during the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 27-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 12/37 A police officer helps to evacuate a local resident from close to the scene of a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London Reuters 13/37 Debris and ash surrounding Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer road Jeremy Selwyn 14/37 A fleet of ambulances at the scene ready to deal with the injured AFP/Getty Images 15/37 A firefighter rests during the battle against the blaze at Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn 16/37 Firefighters prepare to enter the building to tackle the flames EPA 17/37 Nigel Howard 18/37 Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London PA 19/37 Flames engulf the tower block in Notting Hill AFP/Getty Images 20/37 This shocking image shows flames engulfing the 27 storey tower Jeremy Selwyn 21/37 Police and Emergency services at the scene of a major fire in Notting Hill after a block of flats Grenfell Tower is engulfed in flames Nigel Howard 22/37 A person peers out of a window from the building on fire in London AP 23/37 Firefighters react as a huge fire engulfs the Grenfell Tower AFP/Getty Images 24/37 Smoke rises from the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 25/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 26/37 Aw omen react followign the blaze at Grenfell Tower Alex Lentati 27/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Jeremy Selwyn 28/37 A water jet douses the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block seen through a fence in North Kensington EPA 29/37 Young children wear protective face masks near the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 30/37 Two men hug within the security cordon as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire AFP/Getty Images 31/37 A man (circled) looks from a window as smoke pours from a fire that has engulfed the 27-storey Grenfell Tower PA 32/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 33/37 Firefighters on the scene at Grenfell Tower on Latimer Road early this morning Alex Lentati 34/37 A view of debris from the Grenfell Tower fire covering a football pitch EPA 35/37 Aerial view of the closed of Westway follwing a the fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer Road. Jeremy Selwyn 36/37 Fire fighters tackle the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 37/37 A local resident is carried to receive some medical aid at a community centre close to a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA 1/37 A blaze rages through Grenfell Tower block in Notting Hill Jeremy Selwyn 2/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 3/37 Jeremy Selwyn 4/37 Aerial view of the fire at Grenfell Tower, Notting Hill Jason Hawkes 5/37 Jeremy Selwyn 6/37 A firefighter investigates a floor after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA 7/37 Exhausted firefighter rest on steps of houses after ours of tackling the blaze Alex Lentati 8/37 Jeremy Selwyn 9/37 10/37 Residents wave frantically at a window during the blaze Nigel Howard 11/37 Emergency personnel operate during the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 27-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 12/37 A police officer helps to evacuate a local resident from close to the scene of a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London Reuters 13/37 Debris and ash surrounding Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer road Jeremy Selwyn 14/37 A fleet of ambulances at the scene ready to deal with the injured AFP/Getty Images 15/37 A firefighter rests during the battle against the blaze at Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn 16/37 Firefighters prepare to enter the building to tackle the flames EPA 17/37 Nigel Howard 18/37 Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London PA 19/37 Flames engulf the tower block in Notting Hill AFP/Getty Images 20/37 This shocking image shows flames engulfing the 27 storey tower Jeremy Selwyn 21/37 Police and Emergency services at the scene of a major fire in Notting Hill after a block of flats Grenfell Tower is engulfed in flames Nigel Howard 22/37 A person peers out of a window from the building on fire in London AP 23/37 Firefighters react as a huge fire engulfs the Grenfell Tower AFP/Getty Images 24/37 Smoke rises from the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in North Kensington, London EPA 25/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 26/37 Aw omen react followign the blaze at Grenfell Tower Alex Lentati 27/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Jeremy Selwyn 28/37 A water jet douses the fire at the Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block seen through a fence in North Kensington EPA 29/37 Young children wear protective face masks near the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 30/37 Two men hug within the security cordon as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire AFP/Getty Images 31/37 A man (circled) looks from a window as smoke pours from a fire that has engulfed the 27-storey Grenfell Tower PA 32/37 Smoke billows across the London skyline follwing a fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate Alex Lentati 33/37 Firefighters on the scene at Grenfell Tower on Latimer Road early this morning Alex Lentati 34/37 A view of debris from the Grenfell Tower fire covering a football pitch EPA 35/37 Aerial view of the closed of Westway follwing a the fire at Grenfell Tower in the West Lancaster estate, Latimer Road. Jeremy Selwyn 36/37 Fire fighters tackle the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images 37/37 A local resident is carried to receive some medical aid at a community centre close to a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower PA

“We anticipate that these works will be completed within three to four weeks.

"We realise that this is hugely distressing for everyone affected and we will be doing all we can, alongside the LFB and other authorities, to support our residents at this difficult time. The Grenfell fire changes everything – we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe."

Anyone with nowhere to stay has been instructed to go to Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre on Saturday.

One resident, Shirley Phillips said she had been given no notice at all about moving out on Friday evening and had simply been told to get a bag together and leave.

Ms Phillips said she had been told to go to a leisure centre where she would be found a place to stay.

She told Sky News: “I think it’s disgusting. We’ve had the fire brigade here all day, Camden council, police.

“I had a fire safety check today. Why have they left it to 8.30 at night to start getting residents out?

“Where do they think we’re going?”

Michelle Urquhart, who has been living in the estate's Bray tower, told the Press Association: "It's a bit frightening.

"They are talking about evacuating all five blocks. At the moment they haven't done it and they are saying they will knock on everyone's doors when they are ready.

"I don't know where we are going to go. One man in a suit said to me 'you can't stay here tonight'.

"I'm so angry because we had the meeting with the council last night and they tried to reassure us.

"We have been living in these flats for the last 10 years with this cladding."

In response to the statement, Mayor Sadiq Khan posted: "I am in close contact with Camden Council, the LFB and the Government about the precautionary measures being taken at the Chalcots Estate in Swiss Cottage.

"Following advice from fire prevention experts at LFB, it has been decided that the best way to keep residents safe is to relocate them tonight, as a precautionary measure.

"There is a particular set of circumstances on this estate that make this necessary. Fire safety checks are ongoing at other estates across the UK.

"I will continue working closely with all London boroughs, the London Fire Brigade and the Government and we will do everything possible to keep all Londoners safe."

And Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: "My thoughts are with residents being evacuated in Camden while their homes are made safe tonight.

"We will work with and support the emergency services and relevant authorities to safeguard the public.

"Have asked @sajidjavid to keep me regularly updated & ensure we are offering every support we can to residents & those working onsite."

The buildings in north London are made with similar cladding to that used on Grenfell Tower - the scene of a devastating fire in Kensington on June 14.

Refurbishment on the Chalcots estate in Camden was overseen by Rydon, the company involved in the refit of Grenfell, according to the Rydon website.

The work included external thermal rain screen cladding to five towers, new aluminium thermally broken windows to five towers and overhaul of external roofs

A total of 79 people are believed to have been killed in the Grenfell blaze.

Police issued a statement on Friday confirming that the fire had been caused by a faulty fridge-freezer.

The Met said the blaze took hold of the building quickly because of cladding and insulation used that had failed safety checks.

Scotland Yard said it was considering pursuing manslaughter charges.