Four Iraqi citizens have won High Court damages against the Ministry of Defence arising out of their ill-treatment and unlawful detention by British forces during the Iraq War.

The four men were each awarded as much as £30,000 each as lawyers said after the ruling it could pave the way for a further 600 unresolved claims to be settled in what is known as the Iraqi Civilian Litigation.

Mr Justice Leggatt announced his conclusions after overseeing two High Court trials during which Iraqi citizens gave evidence in an English courtroom for the first time.

Some of the allegations of ill-treatment against the civilians included claims they were beaten and interrogated, as well as having sandbags put over their heads while on the road.

The judge said: "This judgment follows the first full trials of these claims in which the claimants themselves and other witnesses have testified in an English courtroom.

"Four cases have been tried as lead cases. There is no assumption that these four cases are representative of others, but the conclusions reached on the legal issues and some of the factual issues raised are likely to affect many of the remaining cases in the litigation."

In the case of Kamil Najim Alseran, who was captured at his home at the end of March 2003 during the advance on Basra by British forces, the judge awarded £10,000 for ill-treatment following his capture, and £2,700 for 27 days of unlawful detention.