Luxury fashion brand Burberry has come under fire after it was revealed it burnt £28.6 million ($50.6 million) of stock last year, instead of selling it at a lower price.

The British heritage brand – a favourite of the royal family – destroyed a mix of clothes, accessories and perfume over 2017, the Times reported.

An advertisement for Burberry, who have been criticised for burning stock so they do not have to sell it at a lower price. Credit:Burberry

The waste totalled the financial equivalent of 20,000 of the brand's signature trench coats.

Over £90 million ($159 million) worth of Burberry products have been destroyed over the past five years, according to the Times, who noted the brand was rejecting the trend of sustainability in the industry: Burberry's waste is up 50 per cent on two years ago, and close to six times greater than the amount the exclusive brand produced in 2013.