THE National Trust came under fire this week for deciding to sell off a collection of 500 Staffordshire figurines.

The collection was put together by two Exmoor residents, Miss Cyllene Reed and Miss Irene Fitt, in the years following the Second World War, when they moved to Exford.

Miss Reed died in 1989 and Miss Fitt kept the collection before handing it over to the trust when she moved into a nursing home.

The Friends of the National Trust condemned the sell-off as "beyond belief" because the figurines were meant to stay together.

The group claimed Miss Fitt gave the figures to the trust with the clear intention that they should remain as a whole and be put on display.

And it called on the trust to halt the sale and discuss arrangements for the collection to be put on display in a local trust property such as Dunster Castle or Arlington Court.

FONT spokesman Jo Collins said: "Members of the trust are incensed.

"The conservation and preservation of works of art have been declared principles of the National Trust since it was founded in the 19th century.

"What a tragedy that one of its first acts in the 21st century is to break up and disperse this unique collection," she said.

The National Trust's area manager for Somerset, Liz Roberts, said it were unable to keep the figures because it had nowhere to display them.

She said the money from the sale -expected to top £100,000 - would be used to restore the Victorian garden at Knightshayes Court, near Tiverton.

"With the agreement of Miss Fitt and Miss Reed's executor, the National Trust has accepted the collection on the understanding that it sells a majority of the pieces with the proceeds going towards Knightshayes, which Miss Reed and Miss Fit enjoyed visiting,' she said.

"However, as a tribute to Miss Reed's and Miss Fitt's generosity, six pieces will be displayed at Dunster Castle."

She added: "By selling the Staffordshire figurines we will be able to raise enough money to restore the wonderful walled garden at Knightshayes, making it one of the best in the country."

The figurines are to be sold at Lawrence's auction room in Taunton on February 15.