Environmental lawyers are to mount a legal challenge against the Government over its failure to introduce Clean Air Zones in more cities.
ClientEarth said Defra's proposals fall 'far short' of the action needed to achieve legal pollution limits.
ClientEarth air quality lawyer, Alan Andrews, said: 'In April, the Supreme Court ordered the government to come up with a plan to achieve legal pollution limits as soon as possible. The government's latest plan for clean air zones doesn't tackle all pollution from passenger cars one of the biggest sources of poor air quality, and fails to take action in dozens of other cities where people are breathing illegal levels of pollution.
He added: 'The Government seem to think that the health of people in cities like Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol is less important than that of people in London. While London gets a clean air zone covering all vehicles, Birmingham gets a second class zone and Derby and Southampton third class, while other areas including Manchester and Liverpool are left out. We all have the same right to breathe clean air.'
The lawyers said they will take the Government to the High Court early next year to 'force' it into faster action on air quality.
