A police sergeant leading the operation to identify victims inside Grenfell Tower has said it could take four months or more before their work is complete.

Alistair Hutchins has urged grieving families to be patient as his teams assess tons of debris across each of the 24 floors left ravaged by the fire on 14 June.

Four weeks on since the tragedy, 12 officers who specialise in disaster victim identification (DVI) are continuing to scour the building, along with 24 search-trained officers and six archaeologists.

They are split into four to six teams - working for three-hour stints as they negotiate 23 flights of stairs. Each wears protective clothing and respiratory equipment to shield against asbestos in the building.

At least 80 people are thought to have died in the Grenfell Tower fire, but that number could rise.


'Fingertip search' to identify Grenfell victims

Footage released by the Metropolitan Police shows the conditions faced by the DVI team, with one officer seen pausing for breath as they go up the tower block.

Floor numbers have been spray painted on to the blackened walls inside to help the officers keep track of where they are.

Sergeant Hutchins explained the painstaking fingertip searches under way at each flat, with officers using 6mm sieves to detect small fragments of bone and teeth which can be used to help identify the victims.

He acknowledged that families are frustrated about the lack of information they are receiving, but added: "All I say is please be patient. We are doing our utmost best for you and we are working as hard as we can.

"My teams can't work any harder, but we are trying our very best to get your loved ones back."

June: Footage emerges from inside fire-ravaged tower

Hours after the blaze began, Sergeant Hutchins and a colleague were the first officers from the DVI unit to enter the block and develop a strategy for recovering those still inside - including pets.

The officer described the intense smoke and heat around them as firefighters tackled the inferno in near darkness, with hot water pouring down the stairs "like a waterfall".

A vigil will be held later in the shadow of the block's charred shell, the first of many remembrance events as the one-month anniversary of the disaster approaches.

Inquests are also expected to open for more of the victims at Westminster Coroner's Court.

Immediately after Prime Minister's Questions, MPs will gather in the Commons for a debate on the Grenfell inquiry which campaigners want to be widened to consider systematic problems as well as the immediate causes.

A spokesman for the inquiry, which is being chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, has said survivors are going to be given more time to make their case about which issues the investigation should consider.

Hundreds of families remain displaced, while a fallout between residents and the authorities has seen several local politicians quit their jobs.