London falls flat on air quality

The air quality in London has fallen short of meeting improvement timeframes set by the European Union and authorities plan to request an extension of two years to address the problem.

According to a statement released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the air in the capital failed to meet EU standards during tests carried out from 2005 to 2007.

The major problem was found to be the presence of tiny particles in the air, generated by pollution from vehicles and industrial establishments.

However, Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for the European commission, stated: "They'll have to submit realistic plans on how they will achieve air quality standards."

She added that the EU will have to be assured that London is doing all it can to reduce pollution and improve air quality if it is to be granted an extension of the deadline.

Meanwhile, in the US, new president Barack Obama has reversed a ruling made by the previous administration that states cannot set their own emissions standards that may be stricter than national recommendations.