THE family of a North-East holidaymaker who died in a Greek hospital have been warned they face a barrage of hate when they attend the appeal of three local doctors convicted of his manslaughter.

Christopher Rochester of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, died in agony in Rhodes Town Hospital in 2000 and three doctors were later convicted of manslaughter by neglect at an emotional hearing in 2003. Two nurses were cleared of any blame.

Mr Rochester, 24, was taken to the hospital after falling from a balcony in nearby Faliraki.

Despite an internal inquiry clearing the doctors, his family and North Durham Labour MP Kevan Jones campaigned for them to be prosecuted. The three doctors, Stergios Pavlidis, Georgos Karavolias and Mihalis Sokorelos, were subsequently sentenced to three years in jail, pending an appeal due to be heard in Rhodes Town courthouse on February 8.

Mr Rochester's family said today they have been warned to expect a hostile reception on the island and have been offered police escorts while travelling.

His mother Pam Cummings said they have been warned not to leave the hotel, not to take any taxi rides and even be careful when crossing the road.

They are fearful that the controversial court case has deliberately been scheduled out of season when there will be very few tourists on the island.

Despite the warnings, they say they have to attend the planned three-day hearing or it will be automatically upheld because of their absence and the doctors will walk free.

During the original trial, the family, even though they were not witnesses to the incident, had to address the court and they will have to go through a similar process at the appeal.

Mrs Cummings said today: ''They have scheduled the appeal out of season when it is more difficult and more expensive to travel but we have to be there - if we don't go, it will be upheld.

''We have been told we will be given police protection to and from the airport and to keep things low key.

''There will hardly be any tourists on the island and people will know we are involved in the court case.

''There's a village mentality about the whole thing and we are seen as the villains by going up against their local doctors.

''We have prepared ourselves for it to go ahead but at the back of your mind is the fear that they are playing a game to get us out there and adjourn it so we have to go back yet again.

''The doctors know we don't have the money and have had to fundraise for every trip.''

The original trial heard Mr Rochester was ''bounced about'' on a stretcher and left lying on a hospital trolley despite being in severe pain.

The case centred around claims that Dr Pavlidis, an intern at the hospital, could not contact a senior doctor, who was sleeping in another part of the hospital, so transferred Mr Rochester only to an orthopaedic ward, where he later died.

Dr Pavlidis claimed in court that Mr Rochester was too drunk to co-operate with any treatment.

An inquest in Britain recorded a verdict of accidental death contributed to by neglect.

North Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle said at the time he had ''great concern about the standards of medical care'' in Rhodes.

When Mr Rochester's body was returned home, it was discovered that one of his kidneys had been taken out.

When Mrs Cummings protested, the Greek authorities sent a kidney from Rhodes but DNA tests revealed it was not Mr Rochester's.

That is still the subject of a separate investigation.