Another 20 local councils have said they will look into their archives for evidence of ‘callous treatment’ of Jewish homeowners after World War II, broadcaster KRO reports.

Many councils sold on the homes of Jewish owners who had died in Nazi concentration camps and, in some cases, those who returned were also made to pay local authority taxes over the period they had been away.

Television current affairs show De Monitor used German records to uncover some 5,000 cases, which prompted 13 local councils to investigate what had happened to the homes owned by Jews in their town or city in the post-war years.

‘The investigation showed the callous and business-like attitude of officials toward Jewish homeowners who came back from the camps or the place where they had been hiding. They were treated without compassion for what they had gone through,’ the programme said.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague have already paid out compensation of up to €14.6m to individuals and Jewish organisations. Utrecht and Eindhoven are also investigating, now to be followed by most larger cities across the country.

Lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld, who helped Salo Muller with his claim against Dutch rail for facilitating the transport of Dutch Jews to the camps, said all local councils should investigate what happened to the property of the Jews in their towns.

‘If you cause harm and damage, you must repair them. It is not good form to wait until the people you have harmed ask you to,’ Zegveld told broadcaster Nos.