THE daily walk for exercise is more pleasant during the present restrictions; there is much less air pollution.

However some drivers are still sitting in their vehicles with engines idling – in the last few weeks I have noticed taxis, Northern Powergrid mending street lamps, and council vans.

At least parents, grandparents and carers waiting outside primary schools with engines running are absent, as are the buses waiting outside schools.

Leaving the engine running while parked is not only illegal, but adds to air pollution which has been linked to lung disease (even in the womb), heart attacks, mental disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. Recently areas with higher levels of air pollution have been linked to higher Covid-19 death rates.

However councils seem very reluctant to do anything forceful about drivers polluting the air and affecting the health of all age groups.

This has not been helped by a government that refused to give local authorities greater powers to enforce the law, relying instead on the greater uptake of low emission vehicles.

How long will this take?

Michael Rudd, Darlington