The family of one of the Guinness Four has backed a call for a public inquiry into the affair that saw four Jewish businessmen jailed in 1990.

Ernest Saunders, Anthony Parnes, Jack Lyons and Gerald Ronson were found guilty of criminal offences in relation to inflating the value of Guinness shares during a takeover bid for rival company, Distillers. All except the late Mr Lyons, whose knighthood was stripped as a result of the scandal, were jailed.

This week Mr Lyons's son Jonathon backed a call for an inquiry by former cabinet minister Lord Mandelson and leading businessman Lord Alliance, who said that Jews had been made scapegoats.

Jonathon Lyons, whose father was once vice-president of the UJIA charity, said: "There should be an investigation, 100 per cent. They did feel like victims - victims of antisemitism. Many people in the non-Jewish community came to that conclusion as well.

"A lot of people, non-Jewish and in high places, like Sir Edward Heath, took the view that the trial was antisemitic."

He added: "The European Court of Human Rights ruled that their trial was unfair, but the British court didn't take action.

"It was appalling, obviously very disappointing and very distressing."

He added that the fact that charges were dropped against non-Jews like Lord Spens "leaves a lot open to question.

"The Jews were put to court. Taking that into account, it would be highly unlikely if it wasn't antisemitic."

The call for a public inquiry was made in Lord Alliance's newly published autobiography A Bazaar Life.

In the foreword, former business secretary Lord Mandelson wrote: "The plot to push up Guinness shares in the closing days of the bid for Distillers was orchestrated by leading City figures who were allowed to go free, showing once again how the British establishment can protect its own".

Iranian Jew Lord Alliance, who initially planned to spend £2.5million on Guinness shares but pulled out, wrote: "Of the four people tried and sentenced, three were Jews and the other, Ernest Saunders, had a half-Jewish father (which was good enough for both the judge and jury)."

He added: "An informed source recently told me that a leading Conservative minister warned a big party donor to stand clear because 'we're going after the Jews'. That alone justifies an investigation."

The call has been backed by the Board of Deputies. Vice-president Jonathan Arkush said: "The Jewish community was very troubled by events at the time, which left a lasting feeling that individuals were made scapegoats and suffered serious injustice."