Green Party members in Maidstone are demanding steps be taken to tackle a worrying rise in air pollution – which reached a peak last week with smog descending across parts of the county.

Levels of air pollution soared last Thursday, with Defra warning of some of the highest pollution levels in the south east.

In Maidstone, the Maidstone Rural monitoring (at Detling) recorded high levels of PM10, the substance known to cause respiratory and heart problems.

Stuart Jeffery of Maidstone Green Party said: “At one point on Thursday ‘very high’ levels of air pollution was showing across the south east.

“While Defra had warned even healthy people to reduce physical exertion outdoors, there was no response from government to try to reduce the amount of pollution being created.

“In this country 30,000 people die prematurely each year as a direct result of air pollution from traffic.

“Across the Channel in Paris, they were in an equally bad state with people being told to avoid going outdoors in early morning or late afternoon, however the city has decided to make public transport free for the weekend to try to reduce the pollution, an action that would help in Kent too.”

via Smog sparks fears over soaring air pollution levels in Kent – News – Kent News.