London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 30, 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
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
UK Unsecured Loan Defaults Reach Highest Level Since 2009
UK Energy Price Cap to Rise 4% to Three-Year High of £1,723
More Than 30 Britons Reported Missing After Deadly Nepal-Tibet Floods
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
Police Intensify Investigation Into Organised Crime-Linked Violence in Middlesbrough
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Revenue and Tax Pressures, Federation Says
M&G Real Estate Buys West Sussex Affordable Housing Portfolio for £29 Million
Royal Navy Warship HMS Tamar Visits Cambodia for Regional Security Engagement
UK Government Brings Forward Benefit Payments Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Four Men Plead Guilty to Arson Attack on Jewish Community Ambulances in North London
Ofgem Raises Great Britain’s Household Energy Price Cap by Four Percent From October
UK Government Rejects Green Party Call for Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Moratorium
Millions of UK Benefit Recipients Receive Payments Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
UK Prime Minister Meets Northern Ireland Leaders in Belfast Over Budget Crisis
Crypto Tax Gains Reach One Point Three Eight Billion Pounds Among UK Investors, HMRC Data Shows
UK Corporate Confidence Rises to Highest Level Since March, Lloyds Survey Shows
Mike Ashley Attacks UK Government Business Rates and Cost-of-Living Policies
Scottish Universities Face Two Hundred Million Pound Annual Funding Gap, Report Warns
Entertainment Figures Urge UK Government to Protect People From AI Voice Cloning
Manchester Airports Group Confirms Customer Data Breached in Cyberattack
Seven Charged Over Vandalism at Donald Trump’s Turnberry Golf Resort in Scotland
Nearly 23,000 UK Households Expected to Move Home on Busiest Day of 2026
UK Benefit Payments to Arrive Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Reform UK Pledges to Replace GDPR and Cut Tax Administration Red Tape
Andy Burnham Launches Work Experience Plan for One Million Young People Outside Education or Work
Andy Burnham Faces Labour Backlash After Dropping Support for Political Donations Cap
Andy Burnham Announces UK-Wide Summit With Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
×