A controversial property tycoon has been told his rental policy is unlawful after he banned "coloureds" living in his homes - because of the smell of curry.
Multi-millionaire Fergus Wilson, 69, who at one time owned around 1,000 buy-to-let properties, tried to ban non-white tenants because of the "cost of removing the smell of curry at the end of their tenancy".
The landlord also does not rent to "battered wives, single parents and zero-hours workers" after his discrimination was revealed in an email to his lettings agent.
But at a county court case, brought by the UK Equality Watchdog, Maidstone County Court ruled the policy was unlawful.
The revelations earlier this year prompted the Equality and Human Rights Commission to begin legal proceedings and said Wilson's actions denied Indian and Pakistani people the chance to live in his homes.
Refusing to rent or let a property based on race is unlawful as it breaches section 12 of the Equality Act 2010.
The court granted an injunction against his unlawful rules, and if Wilson complies, no further action would be taken.
If he persists with the policy, he could be fined under the Contempt of Court Act.
Earlier this year the millionaire called police after he received wide-scale abuse online following his ban and many branded him "racist".
But Wilson has repeatedly insisted his stance is not racist and said the issue was with curry cooking, stains and smells not the ethnicity of those renting his homes.
He has previously claimed that "coloureds" caused his houses to be cleaned with chemicals and, in extreme cases, had to shell out for carpets to be replaced due to the curry issue.
Wilson, of Maidstone, Kent, said he was mystified by the injunction as the ban was not a matter of race.
He claims the last Asian customer to apply for one of his properties was in 2012.
Wilson said: “I personally find Pakistani and Indian people, like Chinese people, to be extremely clever people and thrifty.
“That means a disproportionately high number of them own their own homes. Conversely, a disproportionately low number of them are tenants."
In a statement, Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "These are truly disgusting remarks as well as being unlawful instructions from a landlord to a letting agent.
"There are still deep inequalities in our society as our race report demonstrated and these comments show why.
"As a country we all assume we have left the dark ages behind, but clearly there is more to be done."
