A bill which closes a legal loophole exposed by tycoon Nicholas Hoogstraten has cleared the House of Commons.

The legislation was drawn up by Hastings MP Michael Foster in the wake of the millionaire's refusal to clear a footpath on his country estate.

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael described the case as appalling.

The right of way at High Cross Estate at Palehouse Common, near Framfield, was barred by a barn, old refrigeration units and a barbed wire fence.

Mr Hoogstraten dubbed ramblers, who fought for a decade to gain access to the path, "the great unwashed" and "the scum of the earth".

Magistrates and East Sussex County Council ordered Mr Hoogstraten, who was released from prison last December after his conviction for manslaughter was quashed, to clear the path.

MPs who backed the Bill said he was able to frustrate the law by shifting ownership of the land to a company called Rarebargain.

The Bill would allow action to be taken against the officers of a company and an individual.

It has been granted its Third Reading by MPs and will now pass to the House of Lords.

Mr Michael said: "Because of the notoriety of the individual associated with this case, the Press coverage advertised widely the fact that recalcitrant landowners can defeat the system by misuse of the corporate veil."