VITAL safety work which should have been carried out at tower blocks across Southampton in the wake of a blaze which claimed the lives of two Southampton firefighters nearly six years ago have still not been carried out, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Jim Shears and Alan Bannon lost their lives whilst tackling a blaze at Shirley Towers in 2010.

An inquest into their deaths two years later made a series of recommendations after the coroner heard how the men had become trapped in cabling after supports holding it to the wall had melted.

But today civic bosses stand accused of failing to carry out improvements to avoid a repeat of the tragedy after another fire broke out at a city tower block this weekend.

Fire crews that responded to the call at a high rise building in Northam on Saturday night were again faced with loose hanging cabling which could have posed a danger if the blaze had taken hold.

Station manager Mickey Smither told the Daily Echo how as they tackled the fire inside the ninth floor flat in Millbank House, wires again fell down inside after fittings holding them to the ceiling melted.

"No one actually got trapped within the cables at this incident but the cables, the danger, was there," Mr Smither said.

"They were aware of the dangers and took measures to prevent themselves being trapped by the cables.

"I believe we should be doing all that we can to make these cables safe."

The refits were promised in 2013 by Cllr Warwick Payne, the council's housing boss after former corner Keith Wiseman recommended installing metal trunking inside council owned buildings.

He told the Daily Echo at the time: “What price can you put on a firefighter's life? In financial terms the figure over the clips on the wiring is only tens of thousands of pounds."

When the Daily Echo tried to contact Cllr Payne in the wake of the latest fire, he did not return our calls.

In a statement the council said it had begun the process of installing replacement supports but had not carried out the work at Millbank House where the fire started on Saturday night.

Crews from across the city were deployed to the Graham Street tower block just before 8pm and discovered the ninth floor hall was filled with smoke.

The family living in the flat escaped after finding their fuse box on fire, firefighters said.

Some residents were evacuated while firefighters in breathing apparatus took on the fire.

The family has been placed in emergency accommodation while investigators search for the cause.

The revelation has prompted an angry response from the families of the firefighters who lost their lives.

Lin Bannon Trott, Alan's sister, described the cables as a "deathtrap" and said it was an "absolute disgrace" that the issue had not been resolved.

Jim Shears' father, Ed, said: "I'm concerned at the lack of speed in changing all these things.

"I thought that Southampton council were changing it, which I believe they are, but they're taking a very long time about it.

"I believe that as soon as possible it should be changed. That was one of the contributing factors in my son's death."

As reported last year, new buildings must now have metal fittings by law, following a campaign joined by Hampshire fire chiefs.

The Daily Echo asked the city council why it had taken nearly four years to implement the coroner's recommendations.

In a joint statement with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, the council said: "Whilst the change in regulations is not applied retrospectively, Southampton City Council has already made retrospective changes in some blocks, including Shirley Towers and its sister blocks, Sturminster House and Albion Towers.

"Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service continue to work closely with Southampton City Council, which is continuing to replace cable supports at other blocks across the city.

"Recognising that firefighters may still find themselves involved in incidents with fallen cables, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has established measures that assist our firefighters in managing this risk, as well as training them to be aware of the risk.

"In addition, a simple strap adaptation has been fitted to all breathing apparatus sets, preventing cables tangling themselves around the air cylinders on firefighters' backs. In addition each firefighter wearing breathing apparatus now carries a set of cable cutters so they can free themselves if they become tangled."