One in 20 residents die as a result of air pollution, a report has revealed.

In Brighton and Hove an estimated 115 deaths (5.4%) were the result of pollution in one year.

The percentage was similar in West Sussex with 429 deaths (5%), while East Sussex was slightly lower with 294 deaths (4.8%).


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Campaigners are calling for urgent action after the release of the report from Public Health England.

Keith Taylor, Green Party MEP for South East England, said: “With one in 20 deaths caused by air pollution it is abundantly clear that action is needed.

“Many of our towns and cities need to radically rethink the way they are dealing with air pollution.

“To protect people’s health we need both the Government and local authorities to be bold in tackling air pollution.”

Outlining his proposals he said clean public transport was key along with encouraging more people to walk and cycling rather than drive.

The study, which uses data from 2010, estimates 25,002 people died across the country as a result of air pollution.

The London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster were deemed the highest with 8.3% of deaths.

Councillor Pete West, chairman of Brighton and Hove City Council’s transport and sustainability committee, defended his administration’s work to tackle the problem.

He said: “Inaction simply isn’t an option, especially if we are to avoid massive EU fines for bad air.

“We recently agreed a Low Emissions Zone with Brighton and Hove Buses, and are working on a separate agreement with the taxi trade to reduce pollution.

“Also, helping people switch from private cars to public transport, cycling and walking also takes polluting vehicles off our streets.

“We’ve supported more reliable bus services with new bus lanes on the Lewes Road and Edward Street and have introduced safer cycling facilities such as dedicated cycle lanes on the Old Shoreham Road and the Lewes Road.”

As a result, he added, 44 of the 46 monitoring stations in the city had seen an improvement in air quality.

Duncan Blinkhorn, cycling campaigner, said that while the figures are concerning, the city was moving in the right direction.

He said: “It has been a problem for many years and I’m glad the current administration is now taking this seriously.”