Alex Pope & PA Media
BBC News, Bedfordshire
Flora Mendes, a struck-off solicitor, has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for exploiting victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Previously disbarred in 2015 for providing unregulated immigration advice, she continued her fraudulent activities.
Prosecutors revealed that Mendes created fake addresses linked to Grenfell, charging approximately £2,800 per application to 14 clients, promising them residence in the UK. From October 2020 to March 2021, she took advantage of a Home Office immigration concession aimed at survivors who lost their homes in the fire.
CCTV footage captured Mendes at a Luton post office sending fraudulent applications. An investigation began when a Home Office staff member raised suspicions about her activities. It was discovered that she used common phrases in her applications, such as “when fire busted in our building,” revealing the extent of her deceit.
Mendes is believed to have profited around £39,000 through her exploitation of the scheme. The court heard that between 2018 and 2023, while on bail for her Grenfell-related offences, she continued to offer additional fraudulent immigration services, charging clients for applications to schemes that typically do not incur fees.
Judge Geoffrey Payne condemned her actions as “truly disgraceful,” emphasizing the impact on individuals affected by the Grenfell tragedy: “You took money from a scheme designed to help them.” Following her conviction, the Home Office seized assets totaling more than £700,000.