Grenfell Faker Jailed for Ripping Off Council
A shameless fraudster who lied about being trapped in Grenfell Tower during the deadly fire has been locked up. Alvin Thompson, 51, from Westbourne Park Road, W11, was convicted of two counts of fraud at Isleworth Crown Court and sentenced to over five years behind bars.
False Story of Survival and Horror
Thompson duped the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council back in July 2017, claiming he’d been homeless and sleeping in Grenfell Tower’s stairwell for two years. He said he escaped by stepping over bodies on the 5th floor during the fire and helped others flee the blaze. To back up his sob story, he produced fake letters from his doctor and begged for a PTSD diagnosis.
Medical experts diagnosed him with severe PTSD and anxiety—all based on the lies he fed them. Because of this, Thompson secured hotel stays, financial aid, and permanent council housing in March 2018. He even demanded his new home be repainted and re-carpeted to his liking.
Scam Worth Nearly £96,000 Exposed
Investigators soon found his web of lies. Thompson was linked to a property in Archway, north London, disproving his homeless claim. Mobile phone data showed he wasn’t near Grenfell during the disaster. Bank transactions and passport records confirmed his true whereabouts. CCTV footage caught no sign of him entering or fleeing the tower in the weeks before the fire.
The fraud scam drained a whopping £95,706.42 from public funds, covering hotel bills, financial handouts, and housing costs.
Police Hit Back: “Despicable Behaviour”
Detective Constable Lisa Cook said: “Anyone who attempts to profit from the tragedy that occurred at Grenfell Tower can expect to be punished to the full extent of the law. Thompson’s behaviour was despicable; he showed complete disregard for the suffering of those who lost their lives, and their families. Now he will have plenty of time in prison to think about what he has done.”
Thompson’s jail term—five years and six months for one count, four years for the other, served concurrently—sends a stark warning to anyone thinking of exploiting one of Britain’s darkest tragedies for personal gain.
