The success of a self employed photographer in winning an out of court settlement of £2000 from British Gas for wasting his time can only encourage others to seek compensation through the courts for big company incompetence.

Barry Payling,59, logged his time and costs of letters and phone calls incurred over two years of British Gas cock-ups, which included incorrect billing, sending in debt-collectors to demand money not owed and writing to offer energy supplies to his mother, who was dead.

British Gas claim that the payment was an act of goodwill and not because they were unwilling to test their liability in court.