A North-East MP has welcomed the banning of a date rape drug which can render victims unconscious in minutes.

GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, was outlawed by the Government at midnight when it was reclassified as a class C drug.

Dealers will face up to five years in jail, while possession of the drug now carries a sentence of up to two years.

Redcar MP Vera Baird QC, a legal expert on sexual offences and patron of the Drug Rape Trust, said: "This is very welcome indeed. GHB is the drug rapist's dream drug. It is particularly potent when mixed with alcohol, it is tasteless, colourless and it makes people go unconscious within a few minutes."

GHB also passes through the system very quickly, making it difficult to detect.

The drug was developed as the anaesthetic gammahydroxybutrate but became popular in Britain's clubs in the mid-1990s. Taken alone, it has a similar effect to Ecstasy but mixed with alcohol, it causes sleepiness, nausea and confusion.

In some cases it can be fatal, leading to coma and respiratory collapse.

GHB has been widely avaialble and the recipe has been on the Internet for years.

Although there is still likely to be some illegal use, Mrs Baird believes the ban will reduce the number of drug-assisted rapes.

"People will be a lot more conscious about carrying it around," she said.

"In the past there was no reason for the police to check anyone for GHB because it wasn't unlawful but this a major step forward."

Announcing the ban, Home Office minister Caroline Flint said: "GHB has been used in numerous drug-assisted rapes and sexual assaults.

"By introducing jail terms for its possession and increasing them for supply we hope to help prevent the most despicable of crimes."