Lily Allen Tells Jon Snow Grenfell Tower Death Toll Is Being 'Downplayed' To 'Micro Manage' Grief

Lily Allen has said authorities are “micro managing people’s grieving” in the Grenfell Tower fire by downplaying the number of people killed.

She said she had “off the record” information from police officers and ambulance staff that up to 150 people were dead, while authorities have only confirmed 17 have died.

Emergency services have repeatedly said the confirmed death toll would rise as a recovery operation began. It was initially six but has been revised upwards and many remain missing.

The fire service has said it does not expect to find any more survivors.

Allen, who lives locally, told Channel 4 News: “I feel like the Government is trying to micro manage people’s grieving here, that’s what’s happening.

“I have never in my entire life, seen an event like this where the death count has been downplayed by the mainstream media.

“17? I’m sorry but I’m hearing from many people that the figure is much closer to 150 and many of those are children.”

As she spoke live on air, host Jon Snow intervened to point out authorities had acknowledged the figure was likely to rise “considerably” but was low because “they have to identify bodies and there can be very little left”.

Authorities have refused to be drawn on how many people are deemed missing, despite persistent questions from journalists.

After her Channel 4 News appearance, Allen tweeted she “appreciated the difficulties with identifying bodies” but added: “There are people out here clinging to hope when I don’t think there is any.”

She added that she believed the handling was “political posturing”.

A London council source told HuffPost UK’s Paul Waugh that emergency services expect the death toll to be more than 100.

Allen later tweeted to say a scheduled appearance on BBC Newsnight had been cancelled.