The group also claims the Maritime Museum has suffered from “downgraded importance, leading to many objects of interest in this maritime city being kept in store, out of public view, when arrangements could have been made to display them”.

The “lack of balance” that the friends perceived in the new slavery museum seems to have caused the greatest disagreement.

Mr Pearce said: “The Friends join NML in total condemnation of this abhorrent practice, but believe that such condemnation should be balanced by fuller recognition of the role of Liverpool people, such as William Roscoe, in the abolition of the slave trade and in condemnation of the Africans who captured a large number of the slaves and sold them to the British slave traders.”

He said the museum also failed to recognise the degree to which slavery still exists in many parts of the world today. Early last year, NML ordered the Friends out of their headquarters at the Albert Dock.

The membership of FNML, run by an external group of volunteers, also had their privileges, such as advance viewings of new exhibitions, withdrawn.

Instead, NML has set up a new membership scheme that will be run by the institution itself.

Mr Pearce said the group would hand the couple of hundred thousand pounds the Friends had to the National Art Fund, to be allocated by them to NML.

Mr Pearce said: “National Museums Liverpool and lovers of art and maritime history in the city are the losers from the NML Trust’s action in breaking off relations with the Friends.

“NML loses a source of funds, the service of volunteers, some of them highly qualified technically, and of informed constructive opinion, which will not be replaced by the in-house supporters’ organisation which NML has now set up.

“The Trust should examine its conscience over the matter.

“Why did it take the director’s recommendation to break off relations with Friends without attempting to discuss the matter with the Friends?”

davidbartlett