‘The list goes beyond reasonable’

The document has drawn criticism from Maidstone MP Helen Grant, who has many constituents who live in properties owned by the Wilsons.

She said: “I respect the right of a landlord to set fair selection criteria for prospective tenants and each individual or company will be guided by past experience, good and bad.

“I think, however, the list of criteria set out by Mr Wilson goes beyond reasonableness in today’s modern civil society.

“Whilst his approach may be legal there are moral and anti-social undertones that I find unpalatable.”

Ms Grant urged the Wilsons to take “a broader view of each individual applicant on their own merits” and called for him to “restore some public faith in his best intentions through personal contributions to certain charitable organisations who are trying to help those in unfavourable situations”.

She added: “Single mums who are made homeless due to domestic violence might be one such worthy target group.”

In reply Fergus Wilson said: “I would be happy to meet with Helen Grant but the big problem with battered wives and the like is they tend to be on housing benefit, which are not allowed by my mortgage lender Mortgage Express, which is owned by Her Majesty’s Government.

“It’s terrible single people can’t afford properties but it’s for the government to sort out and not for me as a private landlord. We are just exercising economic judgement.”

MP Helen Grant