The laws governing hostels for children in care need to be urgently overhauled, according to a Labour MP.

Ealing North MP Stephen Pound called for the government to investigate how companies can use loopholes in local planning regulations to set up private hostels and escape regulation.

Pound used an adjournment debate on Monday to urge ministers to take action.

His intervention was triggered by a firm setting up in his constituency to look after children in local authority care in other parts of London.

"We've got a situation where you've got 10 bedsits with 10 troubled kids in then them and it's not a hostel," he told ePolitix.com.

"Under the current planning laws, the local authority has no licensing control. The legal definition of a hostel does not include children."

He warned there was a growing call for this kind of service as there are now 45,000 children in care and a shortage of foster parents.

Pound was confident his calls were set to get a favourable response from the government.

"The minister seems pretty positive so I hope we will be able to make some progress," he said.