A charity worker living in flats in Burton has been left worried and confused after posters were put up saying residents should stay put in the event of a fire - right next to posters telling them to evacuate if a fire started.

The resident has now raised concerns after the disaster at Grenfell Tower flats in London in June in which more than 80 people died. In the Grenfell fire residents were told to stay inside their flats but many died as the fire spread rapidly due to cladding on the outside of the building.

The latest posters which feature instructions have been placed on notice boards at the four-storey flats at the Malthouse in Horninglow Street in the town.

Instructions from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service had been placed on the main communal notice board at the flats instructing residents to leave immediately in the event of a fire. But now the firm which manages the building, Warwick Estates Ltd, has added its own posters next to the fire service ones telling people to stay put in the event of a fire.

After being contacted by the Burton Mail, Warwick Estates said it had consulted with the fire service and the latest advice was that people should stay put in the event of a fire - a change from previous advice - and the old posters will now be removed.

Mobility Link volunteer Nigel Shingler, 52, owns a flat in the building, and says he raised concerns with Warwick Estates Ltd after the new posters went up.

The poster on the top right tells residents to 'stay put' in a fire, while the poster below it advises them to evacuate

He said: "It really is a cause of concern for me.

"If the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night tomorrow, nobody would know what it was we would need to know. All residents deserve to know what policy is in place.

"I feel there is no need for a stay put policy in a building this small. Nobody in their right mind is going to want to sit in their flat when the alarms are going off, knowing the building might be on fire."

A spokesman from Warwick Estates Ltd said: "The old poster was up because we were just waiting on the fire officer to clarify which policy to use.

"The current policy is a stay put policy, which we have been told to do by the fire service."

"We work closely with the fire service, and they are happy with the regulations and policies that we have in place."

The Malthouse houses 38 flats in the four storey building

Paul Richins, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, said: "We're satisfied with fire safety provisions at The Malthouse flats in Horninglow Street, Burton.

"We have offered support and advice to the flat management company who have contacted residents to communicate the changes made on our recommendation.

"There were previously some minor issues but these have been dealt with appropriately by the company.

"Additionally, following the tragic events in London in June we visited the flats and a copy of our fire action advice poster was placed on their noticeboard."

The Malthouse is a brick building and does not have any of the exterior cladding used on Grenfell Tower.

After the Grenfell tower fire the cladding on the outside if the building was blamed for the rapid spread of the fire and was subsequently removed from other tower blocks and buildings.

What happened in the Grenfell Tower tragedy?

Grenfell Tower was devastated by a fire in June
Grenfell Tower was devastated by a fire in June

On June 14, 2017, the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block in West London caught on fire just before 1am. More than 80 people were killed in the blaze, and a further 70 people suffered injuries. Official figures on how many people were killed in the tragedy are not expected until next year.

The fire burned for around 60 hours, as more than 250 firefighters from 70 fire crews were called to the scene to fight the flames.

Police and fire services believe the fire was started accidentally in a fridge-freezer on the fourth floor.

The tragedy has led to a review of safety protocols in commercial and residential high rise buildings across the country. Similar cladding that was on the tower was removed from other buildings all over the UK following the fire.

Inquests for 52 of the victims have been opened and adjourned by the coroner, Fiona Wilcox. Meanwhile, an inquiry is being carried out by the government, and a preliminary hearing on September 14.