Questions have been raised over the cladding (Picture: Getty)

The type of cladding installed at Grenfell Tower during a major refit last year is banned in the US and rated as ‘flammable’ in Germany, it has emerged.

Reynobond aluminium coated panels with a flammable plastic core, known as PE, conform to British safety standards, despite being ruled dangerous elsewhere.

It is feared that they helped the flames to spread, contributing to the devastating fire that took many lives.

Reynobond, an American company, produce three types of panel – one with the flammable core and two that are fire-resistant.

It is thought that contractors working on the refit of the west London tower block last year chose the model with the plastic core as it is cheaper.

Some people believe the cladding helped the fire spread (Picture: PA)
The cladding was only fitted last year (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Using the fire-resistant version would have cost about £5,000 more – the total cost of the refit was £8.7 million.

A salesman for Reynobond told the Times that PE is banned in the US for buildings taller than 40ft for safety reasons.

He said: ‘It’s because of the fire and smoke spread. The FR (variant) is fire-resistant. The PE is just plastic.’

Meanwhile, Germany ranks the material as ‘flammable’, putting it in the same category as ‘unprotected wood with a thickness of no more than 12mm’.

However, the cladding is used by high-rise buildings in France, the UAE and Australia.

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It is not known how many people died (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

The flammable panels sell for £22 per square metre, just £2 cheaper than the fire-resistant version, which could have been used for £5,000 more as 2,000 square metres were used.

The Liberal Democrats have called for the cladding used at Grenfell Tower to be banned in the UK.

MP Tom Brake said: ‘It is simply beyond belief to think that if just £5,000 more had been spent, these tragic deaths could have been prevented.

‘The government must urgently bring UK fire safety standards into line with those abroad.

‘It seems people’s homes were turned into death traps because they were fitted on the cheap. It is utterly unacceptable and must never be allowed to happen again.’

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The investigation continues (Picture: Getty)

Rydon, the firm responsible for the refit, said the project ‘met all required building regulations’.

Harley Facades fitted the panels and told the BBC: ‘At this time, we are not aware of any link between the fire and the exterior cladding to the tower.’

The cause of the blaze and the reason why it spread so devastatingly are not known at this stage.

The death toll stands at 17 but is expected to rise significantly.