The award was made after many of the workers were dismissed by conference call, without any notice or consultation.

The 192 workers will now each receive the maximum protected payout.

The workers involved had been employed by Connaught on an outsourced housing maintenance and repairs contract, on behalf of One Vision, the principal housing association in Sefton.

Following Connaught ’s collapse many of the workers have subsequently been re-employed directly by One Vision who took the decision to bring their housing maintenance work back in house.

Jimmy Woods, Acting Regional Secretary of UCATT North West, said: “This is a important victory for the workers who were dismissed in the most callous manner, through no fault of their own.

“Companies cannot ignore their legal responsibilities to their workforce and hope to get away with it.”

The Sefton employment tribunal is the first case to reach the courts following the collapse of Connaught .

UCATT have a series of other employment tribunal cases, which will be heard later this year.