A BID to give farmers and councils more power to stop horses being abandoned or "fly-grazed" on public and private land has taken a step closer to becoming law.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy's Private Member's Bill on the Control of Horses has passed its committee stage debate with cross-party support in the House of Commons.

The bill has had several amendments since it first came into being and now extends to private as well as public land.

Mr Sturdy told the committee: "It is absolutely essential that abandoned horses are offered the full protection of the law on public and private land."

The bill has the backing of the RSPCA, the Country Landowners' Association, the NFU, and other animal welfare groups.

Mr Sturdy added: "As the animal welfare charities have made clear, we are dealing with a horse crisis. An estimated 3,000 horses have been abandoned in England alone.

“Horses being fly-grazed can present some extremely serious animal welfare concerns. Sadly, uncared-for horses are often found sick, starving or worse."

The bill now faces one more hearing in the Commons before passing to the Lords and onto the statute books.