One of Britain's biggest buy-to-let landlords, Fergus Wilson, has banned 'coloured' people from renting his properties because, he says, they leave them smelling of curry.

In an email to a letting agent acting on his behalf Mr Wilson, who runs a property empire in Kent, said: “No coloured people because of the curry smell at the end of the tenancy.”

When contacted by The Sun Mr Wilson defended his comments, saying : “To be honest, we’re getting overloaded with coloured people. It is a problem with certain types of coloured people — those who consume curry — it sticks to the carpet.