FORMER Stockton South MP James Wharton was in charge of building regulations when safety concerns were raised over tower block fires, it has emerged.

During his time as as junior minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government, one of Mr Wharton's responsibilities was looking after building regulations - and a BBC Panorama investigation revealed this week that he was one of several ministers who did not move forward recommendations on fire safety.

The Northern Echo: Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 27-storey Grenfell Tower in west London.  PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday June 14, 2017. More than 200 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze and London Ambulance Service said 30 people

James Wharton was the minister in charge of building regulations when concerns raised over tower block fires

At least 79 people are dead or missing presumed dead after the fire at the London high-rise last week.

But Mr Wharton defended himself, saying "a review into some materials" was underway when he was moved out of the department.

The BBC said the government had promised a review of fire regulations in 2013, but it never happened.

Letters written to four government ministers - including James Wharton - and released to the BBC's Panorama programme, show experts have been worried about fire safety in tower blocks for years.

Following a fatal fire in Lakanal House in south London in 2009, a series of recommendations were made to keep people safe but these were ignored.

Mr Wharton said: “These measures would sadly be unlikely to have had an impact on the awful Grenfell tragedy, where it seems cladding which may have been used against the regulations and therefore illegally allowed fire to spread outside the building."

He said that building regulations were "complex" and a full public inquiry would reveal the truth, but he believed the cladding at Grenfell did not comply with the regulations.

“If what was done at Grenfell was already banned then no changes to the regulations would have prevented it," he added.

"The inquiry will need to look at the inspection regime and how those regulations are enforced.”