The MP for Hitchin and Harpenden has launched a campaign to protect children from air pollution.

Bim Afolami has written to all the headteachers in the constituency to encourage the implementation of Clean Air Zones (CAZs) around their sites.

Traffic in a CAZ is diverted away from school gates for an hour at the beginning and end of the day.

He said: "There has been a growing body of research over recent years highlighting the severe dangers of air pollution and their huge impacts on our children's health.

"We must do more, and faster, in order to protect them - not least where they study and play. Parliament is starting to debate the mandatory implementation of CAZs with the new Air Pollution Bill.

"But our children should not have to wait for these long, drawn-out procedures. They deserve clean air now."

Research published by the Environmental Research Letters journal this year found that pollution caused 36,000 premature deaths each year and according to Unicef, a third of children grew up in areas of unsafe air quality in 2018.