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Burberry has been burning millions of pounds worth of stock in order to stop it getting into the wrong hands, reports say.

The luxury label, famous for its trench coats and handbags , has destroyed more than £28 million of unwanted products in the last 12 months.

According to The Times, it is common for designer brands to destroy unwanted stock in order to stop them being sold at discount prices.

The brands want to preserve the exclusivity of their goods and prevent them from falling into the hands of illegal counterfeiters.

Burberry admitted that unwanted stock had been burnt but said that they used specialist incinerators that harness energy from the process.

The company told the newspaper it takes the issue of waste “extremely seriously”.

But the value of the brand’s waste is six times higher now than in 2013, with more than £90 million of Burberry products destroyed over the past five years, according to the newspaper.

Destroying products has become common practice for the industry, with retailers describing it as a measure to protect intellectual property and prevent illegal counterfeiting by ensuring the supply chain remains intact.

Luxury brands including Chanel and Louis Vuitton also burn or destroy unsold stock.

Environmentalists have criticised the practise of destroying unwanted goods in the past.

H&M has previously sent unsold stock to the Swedish city of Vasteras where it was burnt instead of coal to generate electricity.

Richemont, the owner of Cartier and Montblanc, destroyed more than £400 million of watches over a two-year period after an excess in goods in the Asian markets.

Burberry Campaigns - In pictures 25 show all Burberry Campaigns - In pictures 1/25 Emma Watson 2/25 Eddie Redmayne, English actor with model Cara Delevingne Burberry 3/25 Designer: Romeo Beckham modelling for Burberry, which has burnt millions of pounds worth of stock Burberry 4/25 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Burberry 5/25 Burberry: Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss have modelled for the brand Burberry 6/25 Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne 7/25 Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes Burberry 8/25 Romeo Beckham alongside Charlie France and Edie Campbell Burberry 9/25 Romeo Beckham, Cara Delevingne and Edie Campbell Burberry 10/25 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Burberry 11/25 Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne Burberry 12/25 Suki Waterhouse, Cara Delevingne and Malaika Firth Burberry 13/25 Emma Watson Burberry 14/25 Emma Watson Burberry 15/25 Kate Moss,Stella Tennant with daughter Jasmine, Otis and Isaac Ferry. Burberry 16/25 Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss Burberry 17/25 Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge Burberry 18/25 Romeo Beckham Burberry 19/25 James Bay and Romeo Beckham Burberry 20/25 Naomi Campbell and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Burberry 21/25 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Burberry 22/25 James Bay and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Burberry 23/25 Bella Hadid and models 24/25 Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid 25/25 Kendall Jenner Burberry 1/25 Emma Watson 2/25 Eddie Redmayne, English actor with model Cara Delevingne Burberry 3/25 Designer: Romeo Beckham modelling for Burberry, which has burnt millions of pounds worth of stock Burberry 4/25 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Burberry 5/25 Burberry: Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss have modelled for the brand Burberry 6/25 Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne 7/25 Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes Burberry 8/25 Romeo Beckham alongside Charlie France and Edie Campbell Burberry 9/25 Romeo Beckham, Cara Delevingne and Edie Campbell Burberry 10/25 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Burberry 11/25 Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne Burberry 12/25 Suki Waterhouse, Cara Delevingne and Malaika Firth Burberry 13/25 Emma Watson Burberry 14/25 Emma Watson Burberry 15/25 Kate Moss,Stella Tennant with daughter Jasmine, Otis and Isaac Ferry. Burberry 16/25 Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss Burberry 17/25 Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge Burberry 18/25 Romeo Beckham Burberry 19/25 James Bay and Romeo Beckham Burberry 20/25 Naomi Campbell and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Burberry 21/25 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Burberry 22/25 James Bay and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Burberry 23/25 Bella Hadid and models 24/25 Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid 25/25 Kendall Jenner Burberry

Nike has also admitted that a New York store slashed unsold trainers before throwing them away and last year an Urban Outfitters employee said he was instructed to "pour green paint” on unsold stock.