for more than a handful of locals.

A writ is likely to be filed as early as next month against Marriott Castle Harbour Hotel for the alleged food poisoning attack on Valentine's Day 1998.

Hundreds of locals and guests at the hotel were stricken down with gastro-enteritis -- the symptoms included diarrhoea and vomiting -- after reportedly consuming contaminated water from the east end property.

Dennis Dwyer, the lawyer handling the case for some 20 local residents who have not settled with the hotel, revealed that the only hold-up in his filing suit was a delay in receiving the transcript of depositions.

The depositions were made when American lawyers handling a class action suit in New York over the same matter came to Bermuda earlier this year.

The American suit has begun with lawyers suing not just the local Marriott Hotel but Marriott International and owners of the land -- Bermuda Properties Limited.

Head of BPL Peter Parker would only say the matter was in the hands of the hotel's insurance company.

Mr. Dwyer anticipated that he too would be hammering out a settlement with the insurance company, but he would not venture an estimate on how much the victims are likely to receive.

"I would say that it should be significantly more than those who settled with the hotel straight away,'' he said.

Those who settled with the hotel received $300 per person on average.

COURTS CTS TOURISM TOU HEALTH HTH