Vulnerable neighbours say the loss of heating and hot water on the Spa Green Estate is stripping them of dignity and causing their health to deteriorate.

All of the historic Rosberry Avenue estate's 129 properties have been without hot water since Saturday, and all the heating was turned off after a gas leak on Tuesday.

The estate's tenant management organisation (TMO) manager Thomas Cooper told the Gazette: "The last few days have been farcical. They can't explain the lack of hot water, the lack of response or communication. There has been no heating and no indication of when it's coming back."

He said 19 disposable fan heaters have been handed out among all neighbours, and the estates "treacherous" set of immersion back-up heaters have caused problems since their installation in 2009, despite a £24,000 upgrade a few years later.

The council has apologised and says it will consider offering compensation once works are finished.

Jacqueline Mugridge suffers from arthritis, lupus, diabetes and Cushing's syndrome, which she says combine to leave her immune system depleted, and her body more susceptible to the cold.

The former Whittington Hospital nurse, 54, told the Gazette: "I have no cartilage in my joints so I have to have a bath to loosen my muscles. I haven't had a bath so all my joints are aching.

"I'm on codeine and painkillers but in the last couple of days I have had to double up because my bones are stiff."

Jacqueline said she and Mr Cooper were incessantly calling the council gas contractor MPS on Tuesday evening, asking for them to bring her a heater, which they promised to do.

But Jacqueline, who's lived on the estate for 24 years, added: "I went to bed at 3am an no one brought me a heater. My daughter has got to pan boil water so I can have a wash."

Another neighbours, who asked not to be named, said his wife is suffering from a prolapsed disc.

"It's pain all down the back," he said. "It occurs in the cold. She has been unable to move properly for days. We had to wait 24-hours just to have a heater, it's just not good enough."

Christine Ackom, 70, said: "I had severe flu two weeks ago and it's coming back. It's really upsetting me."

Islington's housing director Maxine Holdsworth said: "We apologise unreservedly to the residents for the loss of their hot water and heating.

"I want to assure residents that restoration of service is being treated as an absolute priority by our communal heating team and we are doing everything we can to ensure the heating and hot water are restored to the estate as quickly as possible."