The Banstead grandfather of a rising BBC star was the first man in Britain face a trial for alleged Nazi war crimes.

Szymon Serafinowicz, whose 35-year-old grandson Peter has his own comedy show, appeared at the Old Bailey in 1997 accused of war crimes while he was a police chief in his native Belarus when it was occupied by the Nazis - claims he vehemently denied.

However the former carpenter's dementia prevented any further court proceedings because the jury ruled he was not fit to stand trial. He died later that year.

A spokesman for Peter Serafinowicz told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that Szymon Serafinowicz died before he was able to prove himself innocent of the allegations.

Szymon Serafinowicz came to Britain after the Second World War with his family.

It was 12 years ago that he was arrested at his home in Banstead after Scotland Yard reviewed more than 350 reported cases of atrocities by non-Germans who fled to Britain.

He was remanded in custody for his alleged role in killing three Jews in the town of Mir in 1941. At subsequent committal hearings it was decided there was a case to answer but Serafinowicz denied all the charges.

According to the Mail on Sunday report, the allegations accused him of helping the Nazis to eradicate the 3,000-strong Jewish population around the capital of Minsk.

Peter Serafinowicz's self-titled comedy show on BBC2 has won critical acclaim and he also got two BAFTA nominations for his Tomorrow's World spoof Look Around You, while also appearing in the sitcom Spaced and sketch show Smack the Pony.

He also appeared in films Shaun of the Dead and was the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.