In a strongly worded statement, a trade body has called on business secretary Vince Cable to intervene to stop the Land Registry centralising Local Land Charges Registers.

At present, these are held by local authorities.

The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) accused the Land Registry of attempting a “data grab”.

CoPSO said it understands that Cable intervened to stop privatisation of the Land Registry and said he should do the same in respect of Local Land Charges.

James Sherwood-Rogers, chairman of CoPSO, said: “The Land Registry’s attempt at a data grab from Local Authorities is totally unnecessary and poses a real threat to the property market.

“Already some local land charges officers are voting with their feet and search turnaround times are ballooning in some locations due to the crass handling of this initiative by Land Registry officials.

“The real concern, however, comes when the Land Registry attempts to centralise the data.

“Its previous attempts at projects outside its remit have failed spectacularly at a cost of £87m to the taxpayer.

“If this one fails, however, it is more than taxpayers’ money that is at stake, but the whole operation of the property market.”

He said: “Mr Cable could protect the property market and the taxpayer by intervening in this senseless project.”