Fracking should be banned in national parks to protect rare wildlife and fragile habitats, the National Trust has said, warning that environmental regulations for shale gas exploration are "inadequate".
In a blow for the Government, which is keen to encourage fracking, the organisation has cast doubt on whether the process is safe and called for the creation of "frack-free zones" across Britain – including in some of the areas believed to be richest in shale gas.
Ministers are this year planning to offer energy companies the chance to apply for rights to drill across almost 40,000 square miles of Britain in the hope that development of vast shale gas resources could bring down energy bills.
But, in a joint report with wildlife and countryside groups including the RSPB, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and the Angling Trust, the National Trust says that 12 per cent of this land - about 5,000 square miles - is covered by protected wildlife areas, nature reserves or national Parks and should be excluded.
A dozen National Parks, more than 3,600 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and more than 1,500 wildlife trust sites that could be partly or wholly licensed for fracking must be safeguarded, it says.
"The regulation of shale gas needs to be improved if it's to offer adequate protection for sensitive environments," Simon Pryor, the National Trust's natural environment director said.
"Whilst the Government is keen to see rapid roll out of fracking, there's a real danger that the regulatory system simply isn't keeping pace.
"The Government should rule out fracking in the most sensitive areas and ensure that the regulations offer sufficient protection to our treasured natural and historic environment."

Criticism that shale gas exploration is poorly regulated will be particularly troubling for ministers, who insist that fracking is safe but have acknowledged they are already losing the battle for public opinion over the controversial process.
Fracking involves pumping water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to hydraulically fracture shale rocks and extract oil and gas trapped within them.
The report says there is a risk that shale gas exploitation could cause water contamination or shortages and have "serious impacts" for a range of threatened species including salmon and pink-footed geese.

READ MORE: Ban fracking in national parks, says the National Trust