A security cordon holds people backs as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire on June 14, 2017 in west London. The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. (Daniel Leal - Olivas / AFP)

LONDON - The chief executive of a London borough where a tower block fire killed at least 79 people in Britain's worst blaze since World War Two has resigned.

I have decided that it is better to step down from my role, once an appropriate successor has been appointed

Nicholas Holgate,

chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea council

Nicholas Holgate, chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea council, said he was forced out by Prime Minister Theresa May's government after the blaze at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that an estimated 600 buildings in England have cladding similar to that used at the Grenfell Tower block. 

"The estimate provided to us by councils is that there are approximately 600 high rise buildings with similar cladding," the spokeswoman said.

"We are obviously in touch with all the local authorities to encourage them to urgently send us the samples and then we will carry out the checks that we need," she said.

On Wednesday, Holgate said in a statement the Communities minister Sajid Javid had required the leader of the council, Nicholas Paget-Brown, to seek his resignation.

"Despite my wish to have continued, in very challenging circumstances, to lead on the executive responsibilities of the Council, I have decided that it is better to step down from my role, once an appropriate successor has been appointed," Holgate said.

On Wednesday, May said support for families in the initial hours after the fire was not good enough.

"That was a failure of the state, local and national, to help people when they needed it most," she told parliament.