People in most towns and cities are being exposed to illegal air pollution, according to government figures.
The EU’s limit for nitrogen dioxide pollution was exceeded in 38 out of 43 areas of the UK last year, causing thousands of premature deaths.
The figures are buried in a report on air quality that the government must submit each year to the European Commission. In February, the commission began legal proceedings against Britain for failing to reduce “excessive” NO2 levels.
The UK is divided into 43 zones for air monitoring and the report says that only five complied with the NO2 limit: Scottish Borders, Highland, Northern Ireland, Preston, and Blackpool.
The report, by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), suggests the EU is