Paris was today urged to clean up its dirty air — to stop Londoners having to breathe it in.

Environmental experts from King’s College London predicted emissions from the French capital were due to drift northwards and across the Channel yesterday to hit London.

Pollution from other northern European countries also blights the South-East around a dozen times a year, depending on wind direction.

Easter Monday was due to have been one of these days, according to the Environmental Research Group at King’s.

It warned polluted air would “dip into Central France and travel over Paris before arriving in the South-East”, adding that levels of emissions from the French capital recorded on Sunday suggested “widespread” pollution across London and Sussex.

It will take several days to analyse readings from monitors located from London to the South Coast to confirm Parisian pollution had reached our shores. Pollution from other European cities including Brussels and Amsterdam could affect air quality in the South-East, the group added, though it stressed fumes from London also at times reach the Continent.

Bob Neill, the Conservatives’ vice-chairman for local government, said Paris was lagging behind London in addressing pollution problems. “There is no reason why Londoners should have to breathe in their fumes.They should clean up their dirty air,” he said.

Mr Neill,  MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, added: “We have made real strides here with the Boris bike scheme and low emission zone.” Freak weather recently saw Saharan sand fall on the capital. A Commons committee is to look at London’s air quality.

via ‘Le Smog’ from Paris threatens London air quality as emissions forecast to drift north – London – News – London Evening Standard.