OFT 'must stamp out' estate agent discrimination
Letting agents prepared to discriminate against tenants on racial grounds must be "stamped out" by the Office of Fair Trading, a local council has demanded.
Some 10 west London firms told a BBC reporter posing as a landlord they would not let flats to African-Caribbean people at his request.
Now the leader of Brent Council has called on the OFT to investigate and take action.
The OFT has said it will look in to the matter.
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is illegal for businesses to refuse to provide a service based on ethnicity.
But a BBC London undercover investigation, acting on a tip off, recorded numerous estate agents saying they would be prepared to discriminate on racial grounds on behalf of landlords.
A black researcher was subsequently denied viewings of a flat obtained by the BBC, yet his white counterpart was welcomed.
Many estate agents detailed how they had prevented black tenants from viewing flats in the past.
Now Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, has written to the OFT.
He said: "I am writing to you to make a formal complaint with respect whether they [the firms] should be prohibited from carrying out estate agency work.
"There is no place in Brent or in London for any type of discrimination based on the colour of someone's skin.
"It is deeply troubling that this sort of practice is still occurring in twenty first century Britain."
He added: "I am calling on the Office of Fair Trading to help to stamp out this sort of behaviour, once and for all."
An OFT spokesman said: "We consider all complaints on their own merit.
"We will assess this complaint and take action if necessary."
The investigation lead to street protests outside two of the firms.
One estate agent told an undercover researcher: "99% of my landlords don't want Afro-Caribbeans or any troublesome people."
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is already investigating.