Swiss banks pledged yesterday not to pay out dormant wartime wealth to any Nazi war criminals who may come forward and claim the money.

But the Swiss Bankers' Association said it was impossible to corroborate immediately allegations from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre human rights group that the latest Swiss list of dormant accounts included the names of at least 52 senior Nazis.

Many of the names the Los Angeles-based human rights group cited were common in German-speaking areas, SBA spokeswoman, Ms Silvia Matile said, adding that banks needed more details about suspects' home towns and dates of birth for closer checks.