A former courtier to the Queen has accused the National Trust of "scheming" to take over his garden centre.

Colin Campbell-Preston, 55, who set up the garden centre at Morden Hall Park 21 years ago, is facing eviction after the National Trust took him to task over "minor breaches" of his lease which includes not fixing his soap dispensers.

His company, Capital Gardens, had been working thorough a ‘schedule of dilapidations’ requested by the National Trust, but because they didn't finish the tasks on time were told in October 2012 that their lease would be terminated.

Mr Campbell-Preston said: "We had a good relationship with them and the last thing we want to do is to go to court over this.

"But it’s been pointed out to me that they have seen us having built a really nice business and to be frank they just want to take it over.

"I’m afraid that’s what it is - there’s no other way to explain it."

He added: "They expect us to just lie down and give everything to them.

"We know the National Trust is a great cause but the means do not necessarily justify the rewards here."

As a teenager Mr Campbell-Preston was a page to the Queen Mother and is now vice-chairman of the Garden Museum, of which Prince Charles is a patron.

On the Prince of Wales, he said: "I wouldn’t say I know him or that he is a friend but on what little I do know about him I know the way the National Trust is behaving would be against his ethos and what he portrays and reflects."

Mr Campbell-Preston says he turned the once derelict site into a thriving garden centre and gift shop which employs more than 20 staff, while the 18th Century Morden Hall next to it, owned by the National Trust, has lain empty and abandoned for decades.

He said: "In my view they are having their cake and eating it.

"Why haven’t they done something with Morden Hall?

"Why have they let it go to wrack and ruin?"

"We think we have really looked after that site.

"If it was the other way around and we were a wreck and Morden Hall was spick and span I would say yes we should be kicked out, but we are not."

Nic Durston, assistant director of operations for the National Trust in London, said: "We are in discussions with Capital Gardens about the future of the garden centre at Morden Hall Park and have shared our intention that we would like to take the garden centre into our care.

"We hope that we can continue to work with Capital Gardens to find a resolution but as we are speaking with them directly, and with their solicitors, we do not feel it is appropriate to discuss the details of the matter at this stage."