A London fire chief has described the 'beds in shed' housing market as a "tragedy reminiscent of scenes from a Charles Dickens novel" as he warned against the heightened fire risks. 

Since 2010, there has been 432 fire in buildings across London that should not been occupied, according to new statistics released by London Fire Brigade.  

This has resulted in over 14 fire-related deaths and 83 serious injuries.

Firefighters responded to 72 incidents in the last financial year alone, but the problem was at its worst in 2010/11 when the number of incidents peaked to 100. 

Over the same period, enforcement action against rogue landlords has been carried out around 200 times.  

'Beds in sheds', a term used to describe small buildings in the grounds of established homes which have been converted and rented as living space, are "potential fire traps", according to the brigade.  

The Brigade’s third officer, Dave Brown, said: "It’s a tragedy that in this day and age we’ve got people living in factories, sheds, and outbuildings in scenes reminiscent of a Charles Dickens novel.

"When people are forced to live in these sorts of buildings, they are at a far greater risk of having a fire as the buildings often don’t contain vital safety features like fire doors and alarms, which can be the difference between life and death.

"Starting with our own staff, we are working to educate those who come into contact with unsuitable accommodation and those who live in it to try and prevent further beds in sheds fire tragedies."