Controversial landlord Fergus Wilson is aiming to sell off the last of his property empire to a housing association in Kent in a deal thought to be worth about £90 million.

The housing mogul, who owned around 1,000 homes around Maidstone and Ashford at the peak of his power, has received about 20 inquiries from potential buyers for the last 300 houses in his portfolio.

Maidstone-based housing association Golding Homes has emerged as a late bidder for the properties, which Mr Wilson prefers because the company has indicated it would continue to house current tenants.

It is thought the deal could be completed by August, depending on how rigorously Golding Homes wants to view the properties before agreeing any purchase.

The news comes a week after Mr Wilson was widely criticised for appearance on a Panorama documentary about his career. He later accused the BBC of bias.

Mr Wilson said: "I shall be very sorry to see the houses go which my wife and I have built up over many years.

"I am not restricting my options but make it clear that a purchaser such as Golding Homes will keep the properties available to rent indefinitely whereas if the portfolio were sold to Overseas Buyers who knows whether the portfolio would be split up and sold on and current tenants evicted.

"Golding Homes has confirmed to me that current tenants will be protected and that is very important to me.

"It is now a matter of watch this space."

Mr Wilson indicated last year he was selling the rest of his property empire.

He began breaking up his portfolio in 2015, when he announced he had sold his empire for £250 million.

It has since emerged he was selling off the properties in a more piecemeal fashion.

Mr Wilson, who runs his property portfolio with wife Judith, has long courted controversy in his long career.

He triggered a police response in September last year after throwing his dinner on a restaurant floor -because service took 20 minutes.

At the time, Mr Wilson called for the sacking of an attending police community support officer (PCSO), following the incident.

Earlier this month, the property mogul revealed he is suing Kent Police for a million pounds after claiming he was wrongly arrested and put in a cell.

Mr Wilson, 70, was held by officers in May 2014 after one of his tenants alleged he made advances towards her at the house she rented in Stagshaw Close, Maidstone.

She also later claimed he had demanded sexual favours from other tenants, though the landlord vehemently denied both allegations.

In March last year, the millionaire charges were dropped against him after he was accused of sending an email to a man claiming he would be shot by the Romanian mafia.

He appeared at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court charged with sending a threatening message for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety.

Mr Wilson of Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, had been due to stand trial following allegations the email had been sent via his letting agent.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to offer no evidence during a hearing held at the court.

Mrs Wilson has also been in the news on occasions and got into some hot water after she was found guilty of failing to comply with an enforcement notice ordering her to supply hot water to a disabled tenant.

As a result the property tycoon had to reveal her wealth before a judge sentenced her to an unlimited fine.

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