A UK scientist who was left brain damaged after waiting more than 100 minutes for an ambulance has been awarded a compensation package worth £5 million.

When Caren Paterson collapsed in the bedroom of her flat in Islington, north London, in October 2007, her boyfriend called 999 reporting that she was unconscious, breathing abnormally and her lips had turned blue.

But, said law firm Irwin Mitchell, because the address in Hargrave Road was inexplicably flagged as being on the "high risk" register, the ambulance crew was told to wait for a police escort.

There were no police available at the time and, despite two more 999 calls, the emergency medical team waited for over an hour just 100 metres from the flat.

Ms Paterson eventually suffered a cardiac arrest, five minutes before police and an ambulance team arrived.

The delay has left the 36-year-old, who was working as a genetic scientist at King's College, London, with chronic amnesia, confusion and disorientation with the result she will never work again and need 24-hour care for the rest of her life.

Today, Judge Richard Parkes QC approved a settlement against London Ambulance Service NHS Trust consisting of a £1.4 million lump sum plus lifelong annual payments.

He paid tribute to the support and devotion of Caren's mother, Eleanor Paterson, from Warkworth, Northumberland, who was at London's High Court for the hearing.