A group of residents who were left without power for up to four months have been compensated for their troubles.

The Peabody Trust was ordered to pay £30,000 to 57 residents of the Strawberry Vale estate in East Finchley after a two year legal battle.

Those affected were left without gas for cooking and, in some cases, heating and hot water for months from January 2016 to May 2016.

According to the law firm representing the resident, Hodge Jones and Allen, in January it was estimated that 267 homes on the estate were cut off because the National Grid deemed it unsafe due to a faulty meter and though the defective meter was replaced, the Peabody Trust did not reconnect the supply.

The gas supply was reinstated after an injunction in February 2016, and by the end of May all residents were reconnected, but many had run up considerable debts due to large energy bills.

Shona Perkins, treasurer of the Strawberry Vale Residents Association, said: "A landlord responsible for the homes of hundreds of people, including families with young children to elderly people living alone, deprived them of their gas supply, a basic service that they depended on to cook.

"Some families were also without heating and hot water and at one point the Red Cross came to the estate with hot meals for residents. This was all during the winter, affecting vulnerable people's health and leaving many with considerable debts.

"I never thought I would experience such an episode in modern times."

Ms Perkins called their legal proceedings a "long David and Goliath battle" and she said she is pleased to have settled the case with an apology, and to look forward to a better relationship with their landlord.

It was uncovered during proceedings that gas safety regulations were not adhered to by the trust since 1998 and following the replacement of the gas network in 2008.

This was reported to the Health and Safety Executive in March 2016 and the trust were issued with an improvement notice.

Andrew Dismore AM said during the problems the estate looked like a "disaster movie" and that he hoped lessons were learned.

David Lavarack, executive director at The Peabody Trust, said: "We apologised to residents at Strawberry Vale in 2016 for the interruption of the gas supply. We also made a series of goodwill payments at the time to the small number of people whose heating was affected.

"While most residents' heating was unaffected, we recognise that the interruption was disruptive. For those affected by the wider interruption of gas for cooking, we provided temporary alternative electric cooking facilities and covered the cost of running these.

"Now we have reached an agreement, we look forward to a positive relationship with Strawberry Vale residents in the future."