Drivers could see daily £20 ‘toxin tax’ on older diesel cars

DIESEL car owners could have to pay £20 a day as part of a crackdown on polluting cars.

The “toxin tax” has been worked up by civil servants at the department of environment, food and rural affairs.

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom is to unveil the crackdown on airborne pollution from diesel engines later this week, according to the Sunday Times.

It reports around 35 towns and cities will have bans on diesel cars and commercial vehicles, daily charges on them entering the busiest areas, or a mixture of the two.

Up to ten million cars could be affected in cities across the UK.

Councils in each area would consult on the plans before they were implemented, and newer diesel cars would reportedly be excluded.

A source said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs “did not recognise” the figures in the Sunday Times story, but said plans will be announced “in due course”.

In London, mayor Sadiq Khan has already announced the most polluting vehicles will have to pay a “toxicity charge” to enter the capital.

Warnings of a crackdown were in the small print of Philip Hammond’s Budget – where measures were introduced to encourage people not to buy diesel.

This led to fears of tax hikes for diesel cars in the Autumn Budget.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling also signalled a crackdown by warning people should think long and hard before buying a diesel car.

A Defra source said: “We don’t recognise the figures or these numbers. Our intention is to publish our plans in due course.”