A COMMONS bill aimed at tackling the problem of horses fly grazing on road sides has got through a key debate in Parliament.

York MP Julian Sturdy proposed the Control of Horses bill, which had its Second Reading in the House yesterday.

In the debate he said: “I appreciate that to some the problem of fly-grazing might seem somewhat mundane, but try telling that to the farmer whose crops are being destroyed, to the motorist whose life is endangered by a horse on the road, or to the animal welfare charities who work tirelessly every single day to rescue these horses.”

The bill will now go into the committee stage where the provisions will be widened to include both public and private land.