BRADFORD has been praised by a charity for introducing a new Clean Air Zone which comes into force on Monday, September 26.

Tim Dexter, campaigns manager for clean air at Asthma and Lung UK, said: “It’s great to see Bradford leading the way to protect the local community from dirty air and its lethal consequences.

“Air pollution is a public health emergency, responsible for 36,000 premature deaths every year in the UK. The picture is particularly bleak in areas of the country like Bradford, where lung disease rates are well above the national average.

“We represent millions of people with lung conditions right across the country and half of those surveyed said that air pollution is a trigger for their condition.

“Toxic air can leave people with lung conditions fighting for breath and can also lead to life-threatening flare-ups and asthma attacks.

"Clean Air Zones are one of a few tried and tested ways to clean up dirty air quickly, with cities like Birmingham, Bath and London seeing a rapid reduction in pollution levels after these zones have been introduced.

“We applaud Bradford for its bold leadership. We’d like to see other cities follow in Bradford’s footsteps and make cleaning up the air we breathe a priority.”

The charity says Bradford has the worst rate of hospital admissions for childhood asthma in Yorkshire.