London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 08, 2026

Britain's most controversial landlord offers to house asylum seekers

Britain's most controversial landlord offers to house asylum seekers

Fergus Wilson, who tried to ban 'coloureds' from his properties, has gone to Priti Patel with the offer to sell four blocks of flats in Kent belonging to his wife Judith (pictured together).

Britain's most hated landlord who has been accused of racism has offered to house asylum seekers - but only if the government pays.

Fergus Wilson, who tried to ban 'coloureds' from his properties, has gone to Priti Patel with the offer to sell four blocks of flats belonging to his wife Judith.

The 72-year-old sparked outrage in 2017 when details of his policy were leaked, revealing he had banned people due to the cost of removing the smell of curry.

Mr Wilson, a multimillionaire, also blocked 'battered wives' and single mothers from renting his properties.

And he was in trouble again at the start of this year when it emerged he had allegedly told council workers to kill themselves.

Britain's most controversial landlord Fergus Wilson (pictured with his wife Judith) who has been accused of racism has offered to house asylum seekers - but only if the government pays

Mr Wilson, who tried to ban 'coloureds' from his properties, has gone to Priti Patel with the offer to sell four blocks of flats belonging to his wife Judith.


He made the offer to sell some of the Kent properties to the Home Office this week but said 'no figures have been mentioned yet'.

Two blocks are at Littlestone, New Romney, with the landlord claiming to have seen asylum seekers coming ashore. Another is in Folkestone and one is in Wateringbury.

In an email, the Home Office responded: 'Thank you for your email correspondence to the Home Secretary and your offer of accommodation.

'Your correspondence has been passed to the relevant business area, and they will be in contact with you in due course.'

Mr Wilson's suggestion, which he claims to have also made to Kent County Council, comes as the number of people crossing the Channel spirals, passing 2020's total.

More than 10,000 people have so far made the perilous trip.

The 72-year-old (pictured with his wife) sparked outrage in 2017 when details of his policy were leaked, revealing he had banned people due to the cost of removing the smell of curry


The Home Office has come under increasing pressure to get a grip on the crisis, with hundreds of people risking their lives to navigate the world's busiest shipping lane.

They come on flimsy boats acquired by criminal gangs and ill-suited to the 20-mile stretch.

Charities last week upped calls for more safe routes, in the form of centres in Europe where refugees can go to claim asylum in Britain.

And Kent County Council has been feeling the strain more than most.

The authority is responsible for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children but has no more room and has threatened to sue the government for failing to help.

Meanwhile the Home Office has resorted to using hotels, as well as the much-criticised Napier Barracks, to house new arrivals.

Mr Wilson, from Boughton Monchelsea, near Maidstone, was arrested last week after allegedly assaulting a council worker.

He claims he called the Maidstone Borough Council employee a 'petty little Hitler' but vehemently denied his suggestion such a comment was racist.

He said he was later released without charge but Kent Police has refused to comment on the situation.

Mr Wilson was also in court in February amid claims he told council workers to kill themselves as part of an nine-year 'campaign of harassment'.

Ashford Borough Council, in Kent, applied to the High Court for a permanent injunction against him.

The court heard how legitimate inquiries would turn to him repeatedly belittling, insulting and abusing council workers as he tired to get his own way.

He has found found himself in the public eye numerous times over the last decade, notably in 2018 for butting heads online with comedian Danny Hyde and in 2017 when a court overturned his racist practice of banning 'coloured' tenants.

Mr Wilson and wife Judith once owned the largest portfolio of properties in Kent - believed to be around 1,000.

The High Court is yet to give its finding in the case between Ashford Borough Council and Mr Wilson.

The Home Office and KCC have been approached for comment.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Innovation Campus
Families Give Evidence to Independent Review of Sussex Maternity Failures
Sweden Confirms Deportation of 458 British Citizens Over Post-Brexit Residency Rules
UK Launches £3 Million Challenge for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Reform UK Proposes £100 Billion in Spending Cuts and Brownfield Deregulation
Andy Burnham Warns Macron That EU Procurement Rules Could Hurt British Steel
Andy Burnham Faces Major Decision on Future North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
SEND Support in England Projected to Reach One in 10 Pupils
England’s Housing Courts Struggle With Surge in No-Fault Eviction Cases
Violent Clashes Erupt in Portsmouth During Protest Against Asylum Processing
Three-Quarters of NHS Emergency Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
UK Considers Converting Female Prison Space for Male Inmates as Overcrowding Worsens
UK House Prices Record First Annual Decline in Nearly Three Years
UK Government Reassesses Policy Toward Israel Amid Calls for Diplomatic Shift
Reform UK Faces Police Scrutiny Over Alleged Foreign Donations Scheme
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
UK Rejects Calls to Pause AI Data Centre Expansion Despite Energy Concerns
UK Defence Figures Push for 3% Spending Target Amid Falklands Concerns
England Faces Rising Financial Pressure as Special Educational Needs Plans Surge
Metropolitan Police Consider Reform UK Probe Over Overseas Donations
Keir Starmer to Leave Parliament, Triggering By-Election
UK Treasury Weighs Windfall Taxes on Banks and Oil Companies Amid Bond Market Turmoil
Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Thousands of Jobs as UK Government Rules Out Bailout
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
×