London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 20, 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
Ed Sheeran Tour Faces Backlash After Macklemore Is Removed Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks
Vandalism of Traffic Cameras Intensifies Across Parts of England
Nearly 300 Evacuated as Fire Hits Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
King Charles Warns AI Executives About Risks From Uncontrolled Technology
Church of England Apologises for Role in Historical Forced Adoption Practices
UK Debate Over Online Speech Intensifies After Arrest Figures Draw Scrutiny
Oxfordshire Village Holds Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice Sue National Crime Agency Over Alleged Banking Data Leaks
Apple Introduces Stricter Age Checks for UK Accounts
BBC Cash Reserves Fall 66% to £125 Million as Broadcaster Restructures
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and Plans 1,000 Jobs
Green Party Wins Historic Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Burnham Government Prepares October Budget Under Growing Fiscal Pressure
UK Energy Suppliers Pull Fixed-Price Deals as Wholesale Markets Turn More Volatile
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
UK Explores Joining Canada-Led Global Defence Bank
Thirlwall Inquiry Highlights Management Failures Surrounding Lucy Letby Crimes
Parliamentary Committee Calls for New UK Law to Address AI Risks to Human Rights
UK Considers Giving Regional Mayors Greater Oversight of Water Companies
UK Opposition Presses Burnham for Stronger Response to Russian Security Threats
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over £72 Million in Donations as Political Finance Rules Tighten
Millisecond Software Failure Behind UK Air-Traffic Outage That Cancelled More Than 2,000 Flights
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Energy Prices Complicate Inflation Outlook
Burnham Warns of Difficult Choices in October Budget as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
×