A charitable trust run by a Midlands daily could be benefit from bequeathed items confiscated by the Nazis potentially worth over £1m.

The Birmingham Mail Charity Trust has been running since the late 1800s and today distributes grants of up to £2,000 to local good causes.

As a consequence, those who have directly benefited from the trust sometimes bequeath gifts and money in their wills – in March a lady left £11,000.

Now it seems the trust could be in line to receive pieces of arts and music dating back to the Second World War which could be used to fund donations to community groups in the Birmingham area.

As Birmingham Mail editor, Steve Dyson is also honorary chairman of the trust and returned from holiday to be faced with an immense legal wrangle over this latest will donation.

He blogged: “Now we are one of 26 potential beneficiaries in a will that is set to benefit from the restitution of arts and music originally confiscated by the Nazis in 1939.

“What seems like a refugee from Germany in World War 2 came to Brum, was helped by many including the Mail’s Trust, and left a huge chunk of his will to the charities in the 1980s.

“It’s now come to light that many fine pieces of art and music once owned by this chap have now been reclaimed from Germany, after they were originally confiscated by Hitler’s government.

“All this means the will is under re-examination, and beneficiaries are making legal claims over further potential shares.

“Details have to remain sketchy for now, as there’s a lot of legal work to do, a few disputed claims, and a lot of other charities involved.

“But to whet your appetite, one piece of art involved alone may be valued at anything between $625,000 and $1,250,000!”