A FAMILY arrived in Greece yesterday hoping it will be third time lucky in their bid for justice following the holiday death of their son.

But Pam and George Cummings, of Chester-le-Street, fear it will not be the last time they travel to Rhodes in the legal saga, which began with the death of son, Christopher Rochester, on the Greek isle, in June 2000.

Five medical staff working in Rhodes Town Hospital at the time will stand trial on Wednesday accused of manslaughter by negligence.

It is alleged they failed to provide the necessary medical care for 24-year-old Christopher after he was taken to the hospital following a 40ft fall from a balcony in the Rhodes' resort of Faliraki, where he was staying with his DJ brother Keith.

The first hearing did not proceed as one of the doctors and a nurse failed to attend, and a lawyers was unavailable when the case was re-listed.

Mrs Cummings said: "I've a gut feeling it will go ahead this time but they are within their rights to adjourn again in Greek law. If they do, it will be the last adjournment they are allowed and, if it happens again, the case can go ahead in their absence."

Mrs Cummings said that regardless of the outcome of the case, expected to last two days, she expected the legal process to continue.

"If they are convicted there's an automatic right to appeal and if they get off, then we have an automatic right to appeal, so it could drag on another year or more.

"It's bad enough Chris died, but on top of that we've endured three years of this. But we're going to see it through to the end. We are not going to go away."