International Jewish organisations have welcomed moves by the Polish president to sideline legislation that aims to limit the ability of survivors and their heirs to recover property in Warsaw lost during the war.

The law being proposed sets a six-month deadline for those seeking restitution to complete all their property claims, and ends the practice of appointing a trustee to represent an heir who has not been identified.

The law would also remove the right of a claimant to seek certain categories of properties, including those in public use.

President Bronislaw Komorowski said he would not sign the legislation and referred it to a tribunal to examine whether it violated the constitution.

Gideon Taylor of the World Jewish Restitution Organisation said: "We welcome the decision of the president. This legislation restricts claimants from recovering property that was wrongly taken from them. Poland should not apply a Communist-era deadline to prevent those who lost their property from getting back what was theirs.

"Instead of closing the door, we urge Poland to reopen the deadline in Warsaw and create a fair and open claims process for everyone."