Watford's mayor has called for the council to ensure “every possible step” has been taken to stop a high-rise fire in Watford.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire, elected mayor Baroness Dorothy Thornhill has written to Hertfordshire’s fire service, housing trust, police and county council to seek reassurance on behalf of residents.

Watford Community Housing Trust released a statement shortly after news of the fire in north Kensington surfaced, saying that “all conceivable measures have been taken to prevent the spread of fire in our high rise flats in Meriden.”

But Ms Thornhill asked for confirmation that visits to the high-rise blocks have taken place since the Grenfell Tower fire, whether sprinkler systems are installed or would be in the future.

She wrote: “I hope the answers to these questions will be reassuring, however if any issues do arise it is vital that they are addressed immediately to ensure that our organisations work together to do all we can to prevent building fires and respond to incidents quickly and effectively.”

Other questions posed by the mayor include assurances that emergency services can respond to the needs of the community, as this was not the case for those in Kensington, and whether the “stay put” advice from the fire service should be revisited.

Hertfordshire County Council, which is expected to receive the letter early next week, were not available for comment at the time of publication.