OXFORDSHIRE firefighters carried out hundreds fewer safety checks on buildings last year compared with a decade ago, new figures reveal.

Fire services conduct audits on public buildings and shared areas of residential properties such as flats to make sure they are in line with safety laws.

Home Office data shows the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service completed 375 fire safety audits on buildings in 2019-20.

This was 214 fewer than the 589 inspections recorded in 2010-11, when comparable records began.

See also: Oxford Brookes students caught partying in South Park every night this week

Of the audits undertaken last year, 216 resulted in an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “The Grenfell Tower fire exposed the shameful state of building safety in the UK.

“The scale of the building safety crisis is beyond all current comprehension and firefighters have a crucial role to play in tackling it.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Funding for standalone fire and rescue services has increased by 3.2 per cent in 2020-21.

“We’ve also made more than £20 million of funding available to the sector, £16 million of which is being invested to increase the number of audits and qualified officers.”