The National Trust, Britain’s largest charity with more than 4 million members has been accused of hypocrisy over its sales of greenfield land for building.

The Trust boasts of its opposition to the government’s plans to free more land for housing while quietly selling or releasing farmland and grassland for building around Taunton, Shrewsbury and Wrexham.

Meanwhile the Trust has also faced claims of exploitation for paying its senior executives large salaries out of its £100 million a year income and then employing unpaid interns, who receive only travel and lunch expenses, in junior positions.