Prime Minister Theresa May is to meet victims from the Grenfell Tower disaster at Downing Street.

The meeting on Saturday comes amid criticism levelled at Mrs May for not meeting those caught up in the fire in the immediate wake of the tragedy.

Mrs May arrived in Downing Street on Saturday where she is chairing the Government task force on the disaster. She will meet victims, volunteers and community leaders afterwards, No 10 said.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is this morning chairing a cross-Government meeting to ensure everything possible is being done to support those affected by the Grenfell tragedy.

“Afterwards, she will meet a group of residents, victims, volunteers and community leaders in No 10. The PM has sent her best wishes to HM Queen on the event of her birthday.”

On Saturday, NHS England said 19 people were being treated in hospital, including 10 in critical care.

Search and rescue teams from London Fire Brigade reached the second from top floor inside the Tower on Saturday.

On Friday, grief over the disaster turned into anger as protesters took to the streets to vent over the fire which killed at least 30, with dozens more deaths feared.

Mrs May was greeted with cries of “coward” and “shame on you” as she returned to the site of the devastating fire in west London on Friday.

Later, demonstrators stormed the offices of Kensington and Chelsea Council over its handling of the crisis amid concerns that earlier renovation work was linked to the dramatic spread of the blaze.

Hundreds of protesters also marched on Whitehall, central London, to voice their frustration at the Government’s response to the fire, which ripped through the tower block in north Kensington on Wednesday morning.

Protesters walk down Ladbroke Grove in west London. (Yui Mok/PA)Protesters walk down Ladbroke Grove in west London. (Yui Mok/PA)

 

There was a large police presence as Mrs May met a group of victims, residents, volunteers and community leaders at St Clement’s Church close to the scene of the horrific blaze on Friday afternoon.

But the visits, which took place more than 48 hours after the devastating fire broke out, have done little to quell the growing anger over the way she has dealt with the tragedy.

Speaking on Friday evening, Mrs May said: “Everyone affected by this tragedy needs reassurance that the Government is there for them at this terrible time – and that is what I am determined to provide.”

Police outside Kensington town hal. (Yui Mok/PA)Police outside Kensington town hal. (Yui Mok/PA)

 

In a television interview, the Prime Minister said the fire was “absolutely horrifying” and had been a “terrifying experience” for those affected.

But she sidestepped questions over whether she had failed to judge the public mood.

Told there was a need for the public to hear her say something had gone badly wrong and the Government accepted responsibility, Mrs May said: “Something terrible has happened.

“This is an absolutely awful fire that took place. People have lost their lives, people have had their homes destroyed, they have fled for their lives with absolutely nothing.”