A group of board members and trustees who were "sacked" for not supporting a proposed new landlord of Waltham Forest's four largest estates are calling for their reinstatement.

For the past 20 years the Community-Based Housing Association (CBHA) has represented over 1,500 tenants living on Chingford Hall, Cathall Road in Leytonstone, Boundary Road in Walthamstow and Oliver Close in Leyton, as a subsidiary of the Peabody Trust.

The Peabody Trust announced earlier this year its intention to become the estates' new landlord as part of a restructuring that will see CBHA, Gallions and Peabody merged into one and CBHA's tenant-led board removed.

The entire board was replaced in July for not agreeing to take forward the proposal, with Peabody appointing an entire new CBHA board.

Former Waltham Forest mayor and Cathall ward councillor Terry Wheeler, who was an independent board member for six years, was among those "sacked" and has now written to Peabody warning of legal action.

Writing on behalf of all former board members, he said: "At root the issue was a refusal by the Peabody management to accept that the independent CBHA board had a contrary view to Peabody and a rather bizarre requirement that the CBHA board behave dishonestly and in breach of its duty to endorse a Peabody dictat that in its view did not serve the interest of residents.

"Peabody became the final arbiter of its own actions when previously there was clearly an independent arbiter who if still in place would have helped us plot a different course.

"We feel the dismissal of the CBHA board was unwarranted and the board should now be reinstated.

"We are individually taking legal advice on this matter with a view to bringing a formal challenge of Peabody's decision."

Campaign group 'Save the CBHA', which is made up of ex-chairs on the board of governors, is seeking a judicial review over what they describe as a "hostile takeover".