1 IN 20 DEATHS IN CITY LINKED TO POLLUTION, SAYS STUDY

ONE in 20 people in Coventry die from pollution-related illnesses, according to a shocking new study.

And the city is the worst in the West Midlands, with a higher proportion of deaths connected to longterm pollution exposure than anywhere else in the region.

Pollution is 18 times as deadly as road traffic accidents and kills 1,554 people in the West Midlands every year.

The research has been published in Cities Outlook 2020, an annual study by Centre for Cities, a registered charity and research institute that aims to help improve the economic success of cities in the UK.

The institute is calling for councils to be given more money and power to reduce killer air pollution.

The regional average for the number of deaths linked to long-term exposure to the toxin PM2.5 is 5.3 per cent, while the national average is 5.2 per cent.

PM2.5 means the mass per cubic metre of air of particles with a size generally less than 2.5 micrometres. Inhalation has been proven to negatively affect health.

In 2017 in Coventry - the latest year for which data is available - 156 deaths were linked to PM2.5 - 5.5 per cent of total deaths of those aged 25 and over.

In Birmingham in the same year, 1182 deaths were linked to PM2.5. While this reflects Birmingham’s larger population, this is a lower proportion of all deaths at 5.4 per cent.

The city in the region with the least PM2.5 related deaths was Telford.

Researchers say that transport is a significant factor in this air pollution, but not the only one - burning fuels is also a major cause. It’s estimated that half of deadly PM2.5 toxins generated in cities and large towns comes from wood burning stoves and coal fires.

The proportion of deaths related to the deadly toxin PM2.5 is highest in cities and large towns in south eastern England such as Slough, Luton and London, where an estimated one in 16 people die from exposure.

Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said: “More than half of people in the UK live in cities and large towns. And while they offer people good employment and lifestyle opportunities Cities Outlook 2020 shows that they also having a damaging effect on their health, with air pollution killing thousands of people living in cities every year.

“Politicians often talk tough on addressing air pollution but we need to see more action. People in the West Midlands should be at the centre of the fight against its toxic air and councils should take the steps needed, including charging people to drive in city centres and banning wood burning stoves.

“To help the Government needs to provide the West Midlands’ councils with extra money and introduce stricter guidelines.The deadly levels of polluted air in the West Midlands are entirely legal. This needs to change.As a matter of urgency the Government should adopt WHO’s stricter guidelines around PM2.5 emissions.Failure to act now will lead to more deaths in the West Midlands.”

Last week, the Telegraph ran a campaign raising awareness of climate change and the simple steps we can all take to do our bit.