An accountant has lost a battle with his sister over a secret £3 million fund set up by their Jewish father in case there was another Holocaust.

Alan Hamilton told the High Court he was furious when his sister Carolyn inherited twice as much money as he was from the fund.

But a judge has rejected his claims, ruling the fund was set up legitimately before Mr Hamilton’s death in 2007, and did not constitute part of his estate to be divided equally.

Their father David, who arrived in Britain as refugee from the Nazis, established the fund out of fear of there being another Holocaust.

In a bid to inherit more of the fortune made by their father Alan claimed it had been hidden offshore to evade tax.

His sister Carolyn, who is a children’s rights lawyer and Unicef adviser who lives in north London, told the court: “To rip apart a family for this sake is incredibly sad.

“[My father] did not believe Jews could ever be really safe and, with money in a neutral country he could access, he would be able to save his family, if necessary.”

Mr Justice Henderson ruled Alan, who lives in the United States, would keep his share of £1 million of the fund while his sister will retain about £2.2 million.