Liverpool's air pollution 'reaches record levels'

The air quality of Liverpool, the 2008 capital of culture, is at its poorest levels yet, it has been claimed.

A new report has found that pollution in certain areas of the north-west city is so high that they have been declared as special management zones.

In response to the research, the whole city is to be declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), rather than just the city centre and its main motorway thoroughfare.

The report states: "While air quality has improved within the two original AQMAs declared in 2003, other parts of the city, particularly in the north, have seen air quality worsen."

It attributed the higher levels of pollution to increased volumes of traffic.

In similar developments, greater efforts must be made to improve the air quality in India, according to the secretary of the ministry of earth sciences Shailesh Nayak.