London fire commissioner Dany Cotton is leaving her role earlier than expected following criticism of London Fire Brigade's (LFB) response to the Grenfell Tower fire.

The 50-year-old will step down at the end of this month instead of April next year.

The first report from the Grenfell inquiry said LFB's preparation for a tower block fire was "gravely inadequate", adding that its lack of an evacuation plan was a "major omission".

Image: Seventy-two people died in the fire at the west London tower block in 2017

The document also accused Ms Cotton of "remarkable insensitivity" after she said she would not have done anything differently on the night.

LFB exhibited "serious shortcomings" and "systemic" failures, the report said.


Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said more lives could have been saved had a "stay-put" policy been abandoned sooner.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said Ms Cotton's "decision is the right one" and thanked her for her 32 years of service.

Grenfell United, a group for bereaved families and survivors, said a change in leadership was "needed to keep Londoners safe".

It said: "Sir Martin Moore-Bick raised serious concerns that the London Fire Brigade was an institution at risk of not learning the lessons of Grenfell.

"The phase one report has important recommendations for the LFB. The incoming commissioner must ensure that they move swiftly to ensure those recommendations are implemented."

Image: Grenfell United said a change in leadership was 'needed to keep Londoners safe'

Ms Cotton, who underwent therapy and suffered traumatic memory loss after the Grenfell tragedy, has said the "utter devastation" of the blaze will never leave her, and that it resembled a "disaster movie".

In a statement, she said she felt "honoured to have served London" and would do all she could to "assist the safe transition of my responsibilities to the new London fire commissioner".

She became LFB's first female commissioner in 2017, immediately encouraging more women to sign up.

Interviews to find her replacement will be held this month, the brigade said.