Judge orders new plans to cut car exhaust fumes

The Government may be forced to accelerate plans to scrap diesel cars after a High Court judge ruled its current efforts to tackle emissions were “unlawful”.

Suffering their third defeat in court over air pollution, ministers were yesterday ordered to draw up fresh plans because their existing ones will fail to bring deadly nitrogen dioxide levels within legal limits.

Ruling in favour of environmental lawyers from Clientearth, Mr Justice Garnham told the court that the current approach to tackling pollution in 45 local authorities would fail to see harmful levels of the fumes brought under control by 2021.