Outspoken Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames has turned his wrath on "dangerously deluded" vegetarians.

The Conservative MP was gently reprimanded after the outburst which took place in the Westminster committee considering the controversial Hunting Bill.

He made his remarks about non-meat eaters when discussing whether people should be allowed to continue hunting stoats with dogs.

Mr Soames, a passionate hunter, said stoats were common animals which had to be controlled to protect ground-nesting birds.

He added: "Control by keepers does not threaten the species in any way. It is not cruel and need not affect the sensibilities of the babes.

"It need not offend the ignorance of the vegetarian tendency. It is essential for conservation."

At this point, committee chairman George Stevenson called Mr Soames to order.

He said: "Impugning the integrity of vegetarians will not help the debate."

But Mr Soames replied: "That is not a debate I should get into because I have always regarded vegetarians as being dangerously deluded."

At an earlier meeting of the committee, Mr Soames was involved in colourful exchanges with anti-hunt Labour MP Candy Atherton.

He turned on Ms Atherton came after she interrupted him and described the shapely MP as "luckier than she looks."

Other controversies involving Mr Soames this year included his claim Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was an "appeaser" and a disputed attack on junior minister Yvette Cooper.

Labour MPs claimed he shouted at the elfin junior minister in the Lord Chancellor's Department: "Boy! Boy! Sit down boy! Sit down boy!"

But Mr Soames denied being involved in the Commons exchange, stating it was a case of "mistaken identity".