A YORK family infected when a virus struck a Scarborough hotel have spoken of their anger and concern.

Ivy Usher, 92, is still ill, and her son, Ken, said he is very concerned for her health.

He claims staff did not inform them of the problem when they arrived on Monday evening.

But Wendy Hardaker, general manager at the hotel, said today that the hotel had only one sick guest last Saturday.

She said such matters did not have to be reported until there were three cases.

All guests checked out on Monday morning and new guests arrived that day.

The problem emerged on Tuesday morning when they reported nine cases to environmental health experts. "It has escalated from there," she said.

Mr Usher, 57, and his wife, Angela, 55, took his mum to the Grand Hotel for a five-day break.

He was struck down with what is believed to be the airborne virus Norwalk on Tuesday tea-time, and his mother became ill a few hours later. They both went to hospital because they felt so ill.

The Ushers, of Ouseburn Avenue, off Boroughbridge Road, York, checked out yesterday .

Mr Usher, a taxi driver, said: "I have never felt so ill in my life. We never left the hotel all week. I didn't pay £500 for a week away only to spend it ill."

So far, 160 guests and 31 members of staff either have the virus or are recovering from it.

The hotel was closing today and will be cleaned thoroughly over the weekend.

Updated: 11:19 Friday, May 10, 2002