Labour has been committed to the idea since 1997

Home information packs would force sellers to disclose information, such as details of the house's security systems, ahead of the sale.

Anyone will be able to receive the pack, whether or not they were serious buyers, a Law Society spokesman said.

Sellers face legal action if they give inaccurate or incomplete information.

The packs, previously known as sellers' packs, are proposed in the Housing Bill, currently going through the House of Lords.

The Law Society said the packs could open the system to serious abuse by burglars, stalkers and snoopers.

This could be extremely dangerous and could put people at risk Janet Paraskeva, Law Society

Chief executive Janet Paraskeva said currently, sensitive information about the property is only available to a genuine buyer through solicitors.

But looking at the home-pack proposal, she said: "Anyone could walk into an estate agents and discover information about burglar alarms, defective doors, bad windows and the construction of properties.

"This could be extremely dangerous and could put people at risk."

Peter Bolton King, chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, said he agreed.

He added: "We also back concerns over the delays the packs will cause to the marketing of homes and the potential waste of consumer's money due to their short shelf life."

'Shambles'

But Housing Minister Keith Hill accused the Law Society of "scaremongering".

He said the home condition report in the packs would not disclose sensitive information and homeowners could refuse to reveal information to people they thought were not genuine buyers.

Ministers say the packs will help address the "shambles" many people find when buying and selling houses.

The idea was a Labour Party manifesto commitment in 1997 and 2001.

Under the proposals, anyone selling their home, or estate agents acting on their behalf, would have to compile information and complete a basic survey of the property for potential buyers.

They would also have to include a home condition report, local searches and an energy efficiency assessment.

In January Mr Hill said that the government was considering a "phased introduction" of the packs, adding the government was consulting both consumer and industry representatives.

The Law Society has urged the government to make the packs voluntary.