Dangerous cocktail: car fumes mixed with sunshine

Government Accused of Misleading Public over Smog

Smog is caused when sunshine mixes with traffic fumes, producing a cocktail of irritants which can provoke asthma attacks, headaches, and eye, nose and throat irritation.

Friends of the Earth claims government information bulletins have seriously misled the public, describing air quality as good 94% of the time, when on many occasions it exceeded the Government's own safety limits.

Smog monitors: is someone distorting the readings?

Friends of the Earth's transport campaigner, Roger Higman, blames the the Government's failure to implement proposed changes in the way it compiles air quality information - and accuses some civil servants of deliberately hiding the truth.

"We're concerned that the public's being misled about the matter of our pollution in this country and that it's getting bad information that could lead to damaging health effects for people who are susceptible to air pollution," he told the BBC's Today programme:

"There are elements that don't want the full extent of air pollution to be known to the public because they're concerned that that would lead to pressure for greater restrictions on the car and greater pressure on the motor industry to clean up its act," he claimed.

The Department of the Environment dismisses the conspiracy claims. A spokeswoman said the new Labour government is reviewing its information policy and plans to make changes this autumn. Until then, it says, accurate figures are available on a freephone helpline.

Related Sites

• The Government's Air Quality Information Service
• The Department of the Environment's air quality policy
• Friends of the Earth
• Friends of the Earth in Scotland