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An undercover investigation by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has found estate agents prepared to flout race relations laws and discriminate against migrant workers on behalf of landlords.

Letting agents in Boston, Lincolnshire, were secretly filmed revealing techniques to stop foreign workers viewing rental properties when requested by the landlord.

Three agents were then secretly recorded rejecting a Polish migrant worker sent in by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, while a British ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ employee was given an appointment on the same day to view the same property.

The investigation will be shown during a special edition of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Look North on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at 6.30pm tonight (Tuesday 4 August 2009).

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ correspondent Guy Lynn, who carried out the investigation, said there was no suggestion that the agents themselves are racist but he said the behaviour uncovered had been described by human rights lawyers as a "disturbing and shocking" breach of the Race Relations Act of 1976 – which applies to England, Scotland and Wales.

The act outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, religion, colour, religious beliefs, national or ethnic origins.

Any discrimination against potential tenants, or any plan hatched to do so with a landlord, is also a serious breach of the National Association of Estate Agents' mandatory code of practice on its members.

Lynn posed as a landlord for the investigation and approached most of the rental agencies serving the town to ask if it was possible to rent out a property and ensure those of a non-British nationality were prevented from viewing it.

Many refused to break the law – but over half of those approached were prepared to discriminate against potential tenants on the basis of their nationality, on the instruction of the landlord.

Lynn said letting agents are often under pressure to keep their clients – the landlords – happy and may be subject to pressure to break the law, especially in hard economic times, but discrimination lawyers believe they should turn the business away immediately.

Arpita Dutt, a discrimination lawyer at solicitors Russell, Jones and Walker, tells Look North: "What they should be saying to a landlord is: I can't do this, I can't act upon those instructions. I can get you the best tenant for your property and try to meet those needs. But if I did it in the way you are asking me to do it, then that's against the law.

"It feels like we may as well in some cases be going back to the days of 'no blacks', 'no dogs', 'no Irish', because that's what is being perpetuated at the moment by some of the agents and the landlords."

Award-winning human rights lawyer, Louise Christian, said she felt "horrified" on reading the transcripts. "I felt horrified that, in this modern day, the provision of housing is being withheld from people who need it because of their nationality or their race."

All of the agents featured in the investigation were approached about the findings.

One refused to comment.

A second said it had very good relations with migrant tenants and landlords and it was not their practice to deny access to anybody, whatever their nationality.

A third agency said they changed their mind on acting for the landlord in view of his discriminatory views; they do not discriminate against tenants on any grounds and have 30 foreign-born clients.

A fourth agency said it also had many foreign migrant tenants but had created a new race relations policy for company staff as a direct result of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ investigation.

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