Trade unionists who rallied outside Parliament yesterday are celebrating today after MPs voted to impose limits on rip-off rents charged by pub chains.

Campaigners have been pressing for rules to control rents charged by pub companies - known as pubcos - who own 25,000 of Britain's 55,000 remaining pubs.

Thousands of pubs are fighting for survival as they struggle to compete with supermarkets selling cut-price alcohol.

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) says traditional pubs are closing for good at the rate of 30 a week.

General union GMB and pub campaigners have been demanding legislation to introduce a fair rent system for pubs.

Yesterday, as campaigners demonstrated in Westminster, MPs debated proposals to impose "market rents" on pubcos.

But the government resisted saying it feared "unintended consequences" if fixed rents for pubs were introduced.

Leeds North West Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland proposed an amendment to introduce compulsory fair rents for pubs.

The amendment was carried, and the government was defeated by 284 votes to 269.

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: "MPs have done the right thing and GMB welcome this.

"Government must accept this vote and move to properly implement it to save 25,000 tied pubs."

Toby Perkins MP, Labour's Shadow small business minister, added: "Over the past three years ministers have been dragged kicking and screaming every step of the way on this issue, and now they have been dealt a resounding and humiliating defeat in the House of Commons."