MPs have backed government plans on the reclassification of cannabis.

The drug will now be downgraded from class B to class C, despite Conservative warnings that the move will lead more young people to try harder substances.

The government won the vote by 316 votes to 160, a majority of 156.

Home Office minister Caroline Flint argued the move was part of an "honest and credible" strategy to tackle the issues surrounding drugs.

"This Labour government is absolutely right to focus on the most dangerous drugs, to intervene most vigorously in the most damaged communities and seek to break the link between addiction and the crime that feeds it," she said.

"And to reduce harm that drugs cause by addressing the chaotic lifestyles of those users who are harming themselves and harming others."

However, shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin claimed that the government's drugs strategy was "a dreadful muddle".

"The tendency will be for more, rather than fewer, young people to be led into hard drugs," he warned.

"I don't think that's a responsible way in which to conduct the government of our country. This isn't a system that is sustainable."

The move was backed by the Liberal Democrats as "a step in the right direction", although home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten agreed that the move should not be seen as "a green light for taking cannabis".