Northwick Park Hospital has denied withholding medical records belonging to victims of the "Elephant Man" drugs trial disaster after it was threatened with legal action.

Six men suffered serious side effects after taking part in a clinical drugs trial at Northwick Park Hospital in Watford Road, Harrow, in 2006.

One man had to have all his toes amputated and tips of several fingers removed.

Law firm, Leigh Day and Co, which is representing the men, asked the hospital for a report believing this could help secure the men millions of pounds in compensation from the American company Parexel, which administered the drug at its private clinic on the hospital site.

Reports in the Evening Standard suggested the hospital is refusing to publish a new report and the law firm wanted to take it to the High Court. Leigh Day and Co has now told the Observer the matter has been settled out of court.

A spokeswoman from North West London Hospital NHS Trust said the hospital was preparing the information but could not produce it immediately - as the lawyers had asked.

A spokeswoman from North West London Hospitals NHS Trust said: "It must be emphasised that the treatment of the six young men over two years' has been extremely complex. This two years' work has resulted in substantial medical data which needs to be properly audited and interpreted.

"A paper is being prepared as part of a peer review of the case. It has always been the plan that the patients and their lawyers would have first sight of this paper prior to publication."