91热爆

Ulster Rugby players should remember the "pain and anguish" of the Grenfell Tower fire victims when they step on to the pitch, a campaigner has said. Ulster's jersey is sponsored by Kingspan and the club's stadium is named after the insulation company. Kingspan has said one of its products made up only 5% of the insulation in the block and was used without its recommendation. Seventy-two people died in the tower block fire in London in June 2017.

Ulster Rugby has said it has been engaging with Grenfell United, a group representing the victims' families. A public inquiry into the fire is examining how the building was covered in flammable materials, which contributed to the spread of flames that took hold of the tower.

Good Morning Ulster's Sarah Brett has been speaking to Karim Mussily from Grenfell United about why he thinks Ulster Rugby should drop Kingspan as a sponsor.

In a statement Ulster Rugby said: 鈥淲e extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and we do not take lightly the role our club plays in representing our community.We continue to actively assess the information regarding Kingspan, sent to us by Grenfell United, together with the letter we received from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, as we closely follow the latest developments in the ongoing Inquiry 鈥� this is part of an external review that we have commissioned.As part of our engagement with Grenfell United, we gave assurances to the group that we would further engage with them in the new year, and we remain committed to doing that as part of our review process. We won鈥檛 be making any further comment until that review is completed.鈥�

In a statement Kingspan said: "We are very aware of the sensitivities around the Grenfell Tower Fire, and fully supportive of the Public Inquiry into this terrible tragedy. As we have explained to the Inquiry, our K15 product constituted approximately 5% of the insulation used in a refurbishment project we had no knowledge of. The Inquiry has stated that "the principal reason鈥� for rapid fire spread on Grenfell was the Polyethylene cored ACM cladding used on the exterior of the building. This was not made by Kingspan. We have sincerely apologised for the unacceptable actions of a small group of former employees which emerged through the Inquiry, which in no way reflect Kingspan鈥檚 culture or values."

Presenter: Sarah Brett
Producer: Peter Coulter

Show less