The London Mayor has issued a health warning to millions of Londoners today about air pollution, but the government continues to do nothing to alert people except tweet from its specialist @DefraUKAir account.  The official Defra alert page says that there are no alerts at this time, while its forecast for tomorrow is mostly moderate…

“with local areas possibly reaching High levels. These locations will be mainly near busy roads and in urban centres of the Midlands, Yorkshire and Northwest England.”

Jenny Jones commented,

“The Mayor of London clearly cares about the health impacts of bad air on people living and working in the capital, but this government is letting everyone else suffer without any warning whats so ever. When air pollution episodes are capable of triggering an extra 300 deaths as well as hundreds of emergency admissions to hospitals around the country, I think that we have to consider emergency measures to discourage driving, encourage a switch away from diesel and promote less polluting alternatives.”

“The government’s sole aim is to downplay the whole thing. No press release. It doesn’t even make the main DEFRA twitter feed or use the NHS to reach out to vulnerable people. They want to tick the smallest of boxes by putting out the minimum of information. It is then up to those who are vulnerable to respiratory diseases and heart conditions to find that information. It is criminal neglect by a government that has lost two court cases over its inadequate plans.