An expert appointed to advise the Grenfell Tower inquiry by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has stepped down following mounting public criticism of her appointment.

Engineer Benita Mehra had been appointed to replace Professor Nabeel Hamdi for the second phase of the inquiry as an expert panellist.

But victims’ families had raised concerns to the prime minister about her former role as a past president of the Women’s Engineering Society.

During her tenure as president of the society from 2015 to 2018 it accepted a £71,000 grant from the Arconic Foundation, the charitable arm of Arconic.

Among the critics was the uion Unite which said that if Mehra did not voluntarily withdraw from the inquiry,  it would directly challenge her participation when the inquiry resumes and will also consider other avenues to challenge her involvement.

However, in a resignation letter to the prime minister Mehra said she recognised the “depth of feeling” among those affected about her appointment.

The letter said: “As you know, I had hoped to draw on my experience and knowledge of the construction industry, of community engagement and of governance within housing management to contribute to the vital work of the inquiry in discovering how and why the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower happened.”

But she noted that her past role as president of the Women’s Engineering Society had caused “serious concern”.

Johnson said he was “grateful for her sensitivity to the work of the inquiry”.

The Grenfell United group said the resignation had helped to “lift growing anxiety ahead of phase two”.