A conference room in a luxury London hotel is due to be turned into a court next week as witnesses start giving evidence at a High Court trial of a property dispute between members of wealthy family.

Judge Sir William Blackburne is set to sit at The May Fair in Mayfair, central London, on Monday to hear evidence from an 86-year-old businessman at the centre of the case.

Members of the Singh family - which has interests in a string of London hotels - are lined up on opposite sides of the dispute.

Bal Mohinder Singh has taken legal action against sons Jasminder, who is in his early 60s, and Herinder, who is in his mid-40s, at a hearing which started at the High Court in London on Tuesday.

He claims that he and his sons were members of a joint Hindu family and ''family property'' was held under a ''trust'' for male family members, and says he is entitled to a third share. His claim is disputed.

Barristers have made opening statements and Bal Mohinder Singh is the first witness listed to give evidence.

But lawyers have told Sir William that Bal Mohinder Singh is frail and not fit enough to travel to the trial - being staged in the Royal Courts of Justice near Fleet Street.

And arrangements have been made for the court to move to The May Fair, which is owned by a Singh company, so that Bal Mohinder Singh can give evidence in more comfortable surroundings.

The judge today suggested that people might be surprised when they read High Court case listings, saying: "There are going to be some raised eyebrows when people read this in the cause list."

He gave instructions for boxes of files and recording equipment to be moved to the hotel.

Lawyers said case was expected to be heard at the hotel for several days before returning to the Royal Courts of Justice.