Family of tycoon launch battle for £10m fortune left to Chinese restaurant owners

But when a widow they had befriended died, she expressed her gratitude with a £10million gratuity.

The enormous bequest was at the centre of a bitter High Court battle yesterday as five of Golda Bechal's nephews and nieces argued that she was suffering from dementia when she drew up two wills in the restaurateurs' favour.

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The Mans deny this and say Mrs Bechal - who died aged 89 in 2004 - considered her relatives 'hooligans' who were only after her money.

If the will is declared invalid, the relatives will be entitled to share the estate.

The High Court in London yesterday heard that Mrs Bechal, who owned a string of commercial properties, became friends with Mr Man in 1967. One of her companies rented a restaurant to his father in Braintree, Essex.

Her husband, Simon, died in 1971, and her only son, Peter, passed away three years later, aged 28.

Barrister Penelope Reed said that Mr Man visited the widow every Monday from 1982 onwards when he went to London to pick up supplies for the Chinese restaurant he ran in Witham, Essex.

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Later the entire Man family began visiting her on Sundays. Over the years, it was claimed, Mrs Bechal, who lived in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, became one of the Man family and was 'like a grandmother' to the couple's children.

She went on holiday with them and spent Christmas Day and other occasions in their company.

While the relationship with the Mans was 'close and affectionate', Miss Reed said that with her nephews and nieces had become strained before 1994 and she was 'not particularly close to them'.

Mr Man, of Great Leighs, near Chelmsford, Essex, told the court his family had become friendly with Mrs Bechal because her husband spoke Cantonese.

The 53-year-old, who went bankrupt in 1992, also said the widow, who he described as an 'upper class, posh lady', referred to her family as a 'bunch of hooligans', telling him: "They are not interested in caring for me."

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Mr Man said she had never discussed who the beneficiaries of her will would be. However, his wife Bee Lian said Mrs Bechal had told her: "I'll leave it (the estate) to Kim and you. You are the only people who look after me."

The Mans benefit from two wills signed at a bank in May and August 1994. Mrs Man accompanied the widow on both occasions, although presiding judge Sir Donald Ratee was told she was out of earshot when they were completed.

The only other beneficiaries were a number of charities and a synagogue.

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Miss Reed said it was accepted that Mrs Bechal suffered from mild dementia in 1994, but overwhelming evidence showed she knew what she was doing.

Sandra Blackman, Barbara Green and Louise Barnard, all from London, Mervyn Lebor, of Leeds, and Laurence Lebor, who lives in Israel, say the wills were made in suspicious circumstances.

They say there is no explanation why their aunt used a bank's will writing service when she had her own lawyers.

They also argue there was no evidence she had read the documents or that she knew what her estate was worth.

Their barrister Stephen Lloyd said the widow's mental powers in 1994 were such that she could not have 'known or approved' of the wills.

Sandra Blackman revealed the family had instructed private detectives in 1994 because they were worried about 'various influences'.

She admitted they reported nothing untoward, however.

She also claimed the family were denied entry to her aunt's flat and their calls were not returned.

The case continues.