A COUPLE seriously injured in a machete attack in their dream Caribbean holiday home say they have received death threats if they ever return.

Peter and Murium Green, from Wellington, are currently fighting for compensation following the incident in Tobago six years ago.

Mr Green was blinded in one eye and is now partially disabled, while his wife was slashed across the face and both have undergone several facial reconstruction operations.

The case against a 25-year-old man charged with attempted murder was dismissed in 2011 due to lack of evidence, although police say the case remains active.

Mr and Mrs Green, who described as “insulting” the offer of £2,500 compensation each from the Trinidad and Tobago government, have hired a lawyer to push their claim.

Windsor-based barrister Marc Beaumont told the BBC the government has “given a fairly strong indication compensation would be paid on an ex gratia basis", although he declined to discuss the amount they are looking for.

But he added that there had been no response to a detailed letter outlining the couple’s case nine months ago.

Legally the government is not obliged to pay out anything, but Mr Beaumont says he is applying “moral pressure”.

He added: "The facts are extreme. One would have thought as a matter of basic humanity, proper compensation should be paid. These people are very lucky to be alive."

Mr and Mrs Green claim they have received e-mail and phone threats to murder them if they ever return to Tobago, which has left them “looking over our shoulders”.

The High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago in London has not commented on the matter.