Fraser Perring, the short-seller who sparked off the crisis at Home Reit, claims he has been approached by investors who want him to take charge of the troubled homeless accommodation provider and turn it round.

Perring, whose excoriating report at Viceroy Research in November highlighted potential property over valuation and conflicts of interest with developers, told the Daily Mail: ‘I would consider taking it on if they gave me free rein.’

‘If investors are reaching out to a short-seller, it truly shows the level of distrust in the current management,’ he said.

Perring was speaking after the real estate investment trust’s annual general meeting yesterday, which he did not attend but two representatives of Viceroy did.

His comments come as investor frustration with the board grows. One investor leaving the AGM told the paper the bid approach by Bluestar, an investment company founded by a former employee of Home’s fund manager Alvarium, was being used as a ‘shield’ by the Reit to avoid answering uncomfortable questions about the company’s situation.

‘I think what investors want is for them to hurry up and sort it out,’ the investor said.

Home’s chair Lynne Fennah yesterday told investors the board was working ‘at all hours’ to protect shareholders. Home shares have been suspended for seven weeks following a six-month delay to its annual report as auditor BDO reviews the business and the accounts. The shares plunged 70% last year.

Last week the company suspended its quarterly dividends and warned it faced a bill of up to £20m refurbishing sub-standard properties as it put the business up for sale.