Council Leader on Grovelands Road Fire

Responding to the major fire which took place off Grovelands Road in Reading in the early hours of this morning, Reading Borough Council Leader, Jason Brock, said:

“I’m sure I speak on behalf of everybody in the Reading community when I say our thoughts and prayers are with anybody who is affected by the horrific fire off Grovelands Road this morning.

“Details are of course still emerging, but we understand from colleagues in the emergency services that at least one person has died and others remain unaccounted for at this time.

“Police, fire and ambulance services remain at the scene and are likely to do so for some considerable time yet. I would echo their calls for people to stay away from the area at this time and let the emergency services get on with their jobs at this critical point. I’d also like to once again thank Reading’s emergency services for their swift response to another major incident in Reading, this time in the early hours of this morning.

“Reading Borough Council officers are working alongside other agencies to set up temporary respite accommodation and support for local residents and neighbours where it is needed. It goes without saying that we will continue to provide whatever support is necessary in the days and weeks to come, throughout the Christmas period and beyond.

“We will share contact details for members of the public who need help or support to call as soon as they become available. I know that there are also many in our community that want to offer their support too, and we will also communicate how this may be done appropriately as things develop.”