Neighbours claim people were “dragged screaming” from their houses during an eviction.

People living in Sweets Way, Whetstone, were served with notices to leave their homes last October – but many have been unable to find alternative housing.

The former Army estate is owned by Annington, a private owner of many former Ministry of Defence homes, but is leased to the Notting Hill Housing Trust and has been earmarked for redevelopment.

After the evictions, which took place yesterday and this morning, the once-busy street is now eerily quiet.

Furniture, children’s toys, fridges, freezers and other household appliances have been abandoned in front of the boarded-up homes.

Although claims circulating on social media said children had been taken into care as a result of the evictions, Barnet Borough Council say this is “categorically not true”.

The authority has also said it is “desperately” trying to rehouse some 80 people who lived on the estate.

One woman, who has a 14-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son with additional needs, has been forced to move out of the borough for the first time in her life.

She has never claimed benefits in her life, Barnet Borough Council said it was unable to help her as she earns above the threshold at which she can claim benefits.

She said: “It’s been a real, traumatic experience. I couldn’t find anywhere to live in my price range and so I was panicking. I am lucky I found somewhere in the end – others are still searching.

“Yesterday, we saw furniture out on lawns and people getting ready to leave but some had nowhere to go. It’s just horrible because people are being made homeless.”

There was a delay in evicting people from the site as Barnet Borough Council initially refused to give Annington planning permission to build new homes.

Those who agreed to leave by October 31 were offered £1,000 in compensation – less than the average rent.

Another woman said: “People were dragged from their houses and there was a lot of screaming. It was simply horrible. I don’t know how they are able to get away with this.”

A statement from Barnet Borough Council said:  “No child has been taken into care because of housing issues at Sweets Way. Indeed, law forbids children being taken into care for homelessness alone.

"This is obviously not an issue of our making, however Barnet Homes housing allocations team are working around the clock to find these residents homes.

“So far they have found around 40 families new homes and are looking for other homes for other families facing imminent eviction. 

“The fact that these are family homes means finding new accommodation is particularly difficult.” 

Amarjit Bains, director of Notting Hill Housing home options, said: “We lease the houses on this former MoD site to provide temporary housing, on behalf of the council, for local people.

"It was always the intention to hand these properties back once the lease expired in order for the land to be redeveloped. This scheme was arranged to meet a local housing need albeit temporarily for a few years. Our staff have been speaking with tenants about it for almost 18 months. 

"Our staff who were present have confirmed that nobody was forcibly removed from their home or separated from their families.”