furious war of words last night.

A top bank official launched a bitter attack on the lawyer MP, who hit back with a promise to "fight until they choke on their own blood''.

Enraged by a bank claim that he failed to make regular repayments on a loan, he vowed to defend himself "by every means necessary''.

The battle between the bank and Mr. Hall, who is Opposition environment spokesman, centres on a $200,000 loan to him.

Earlier this month the bank was granted a bankruptcy notice against Mr. Hall, following a court judgement awarding it $108,125.78 outstanding.

Mr. Hall responded last week by suing the bank for $510,000, saying it owes him money and not the other way around. He declared he was the beneficial owner of 50,000 Cablevision shares, controlled by the bank, and got an injunction preventing it from selling them.

Yesterday bank legal adviser Mr. Peter Rodger waded into the row, denying claims from Mr. Hall that it was singling him out among other debtors or conspiring to damage his reputation.

"The bank has at all times been seeking to recover monies owed on an outstanding loan which Mr. Hall has not properly nor regularly serviced since about April, 1990,'' said Mr. Rodger.

"The bank wishes to make it clear that the actions it has taken would not have been necessary if Mr. Hall had honoured his promises.

"The issue of the bankruptcy notice was the final protection available to the bank as a consequence of Mr. Hall's continuing default and refusal to deal with the reality of his financial situation.

"The bank has afforded Mr. Hall every opportunity to regularise his affairs, but he has singularly failed to co-operate with the bank by putting forward realistic proposals.'' Who owned the shares could only by resolved by Mr. Hall, Cablevision president Mr. Gavin Wilson and/or Cablevision, Mr. Rodger added.

"For now, however, the man who pledged those shares as security to the bank, Mr. Gavin Wilson, maintains that the pledged shares belong to him personally and to no-one else.

"The bank vigorously denies Mr. Hall's claims against it and will vigorously defend in court Mr. Hall's assertions that the bank is in any way guilty of wrongful and unlawful conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust and conspiracy.

"The facts simply do not support Mr. Hall's allegations.'' In reply, Mr. Hall accused the bank of lying, and threatened possible actions for defamation and breach of confidence.

"I appreciate that the bank would want now to exercise some degree of damage control but if they continue to do so at my expense and at the expense of my reputation and at the expense of the truth they will have only themselves to blame for the consequences.'' He said he was the only person in 20 years he knew of who had had a bankruptcy notice filed against them by the bank.

"I am willing to have Mr. Rodger produce the schedule of payments which were made by me on this debt.'' Originally he had to pay the debt off at $2,000 a month, he said. "For every single month that I was required to pay $2,000 I paid it.

"At one point they increased the requirement to $5,000 a month, and I faithfully paid that except for one or two months in early 1992.'' All businesses suffering from the recession had the "occasional hiccup'', he said.

"I have the goods on these people. They have been vicious and vindictive and nasty.''