MPs have approved proposals to allow the controversial process under national parks such as the New Forest and the South Downs.

The move to allow fracking to extract shale gas three-quarters of a mile (1,200m) below national parks, world heritage sites, the Broads and areas of outstanding natural beauty was passed by a majority of 37 in a vote today.

Shadow energy and climate secretary Lisa Nandy accused the Government of sneaking the rules through without proper parliamentary debate, labelling it ''frankly shabby''.

''Ministers had previously conceded that there should be the tougher safeguards that Labour has been calling for to protect drinking water sources and sensitive parts of our countryside like national parks. Now they've abandoned those promises.

''We should have a moratorium on fracking in Britain until we can be sure it is safe and won't present intolerable risks to our environment.

''Neither MPs or the public have received these assurances yet ministers are ignoring people's legitimate concerns and imposing fracking on communities,'' she said.

Rose Dickinson, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said the new rules, which also allow fracking in certain groundwater areas, put drinking water and national parks at risk from fracking.

''People will rightly be concerned that the Government is not following through on its commitment to have strong regulation on fracking.

''It is time for us to follow in the footsteps of Scotland and Wales by halting all plans for fracking, which is completely incompatible with tackling climate change and the agreement reached in Paris.''

The environmental group said it was campaigning for a full ban on fracking because 80% of fossil fuels have to remain in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change.

The rules, which also allow fracking under protected areas known as sites of special scientific interest that are important for wildlife, habitats or geology, show the Government has broken its promise on protecting special landscapes, Greenpeace said.

Hannah Martin, energy campaigner at Greenpeace, said: 'What we have seen today is the Government breaking its promise and forcing through regulations which will allow fracking underneath some of the most fragile and treasured landscapes in Britain.''

Fiona Howie, chief executive of the Campaign for National Parks, said it was ''really disappointing that the regulations had been approved, especially as Parliament had not been given the chance to consider the concerns that had been raised''.

''Fracking should not be allowed to take place under national parks and other protected areas.

''We don't yet know what the longer-term effects of this would be on these protected areas, so given this uncertainty the Government should have kept to their word and prevented hydraulic fracturing in protected areas at any depth,'' she said.