London mayor issues pollution warnings at bus stops and tube stations

Air quality alerts have been issued at bus stops, tube stations and roadsides across London because of high pollution levels, said a spokeswoman for the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The alerts will notify Londoners on Thursday evening during their commute home from work.

People in London who suffer from lung or heart problems have been warned to avoid strenuous exercise. The risks from heightened levels of air pollution enveloping the city have been exacerbated by settled and cold conditions, which have prevented pollutants from being dispersed.

Individuals at risk have been warned to particularly avoid outdoor exercise, while those with asthma may need to use their inhaler more often, according to the London Air Quality Network, based at King’s College University.

Anyone from the wider population who experiences sore eyes, a cough or sore throat should also consider reducing their physical activity, particularly outdoors, the pollution monitoring service said.

Air pollution campaigners called on the government and city authorities to restrict traffic during smog episodes.

“When pollution episodes are high, the mayor should introduce emergency traffic restrictions to bring pollution levels down quickly,” said a spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth.

“The solutions proposed for dealing with the latest smog have things backwards: the first step should be restricting traffic not people.

“It’s outrageous that those with vulnerable lungs, including children and the elderly, are told to stay at home when the air is bad. Everyone should be able to go about their business, without being afraid of the air they breathe.”

According to the London Air Quality Network, winter smogs are formed when pollutants from traffic and industry are trapped at ground level because of a temperature inversion.

The pollution is a mix of ultra-fine particulates of unburned carbon, known as PM2.5s, and the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which is largely created by diesel cars, lorries and buses.

Thursday’s pollution episode took place on the same day as Nice, the government’s independent health advisers, proposed that councils in England should be given powers to set up clean-air zones. This would allow them to restrict certain vehicles entering some areas.

About 9,500 people die early each year in London due to long-term exposure to air pollution, more than twice as many as previously thought, according to new research. Air pollution is now Britain’s most lethal environmental risk, killing about 40,000 people prematurely each year.

Air pollution monitors showed high or very high pollution along all major London roads, with extremely high pollution recorded in the city centre. On Thursday, a Defra pollution monitor on Marylebone Road also registered very high levels.

Khan made tackling London’s air pollution a priority issue in his election campaign. This summer he announced his intention to issue alerts for high pollution. However, there have been no incidents of particularly high pollution until now.

Khan said: “Londoners need to know when the city is suffering from high pollution levels so they can take any necessary appropriate measures to protect themselves from poor air quality. This is particularly crucial for Londoners who are vulnerable, such as asthma sufferers.”

London mayor issues pollution warnings at bus stops and tube stations

Mental wellness nurses to be posted in police stations

Norman Lamb, care and assistance minister, mentioned: ‘Too usually individuals with psychological well being illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system are only diagnosed when they reach prison.’ Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA Archive/Press Association Ima

Mental wellness nurses are to be posted in police stations and courts in a £25m pilot scheme designed to make certain men and women obtain the remedy they require and minimize reoffending charges.

The government scheme, which will initially run in ten areas and be rolled out across the rest of the country by 2017 if effective, was welcomed by mental well being campaigners, assured that it would prove its well worth.

The bulk of individuals who finish up in prison have a mental overall health situation, a substance misuse problem or a studying disability and one in four has a significant psychological overall health illness, such as chronic depression or psychosis.

“As well frequently folks with psychological overall health illnesses who come into get in touch with with the criminal justice system are only diagnosed when they attain prison,” mentioned care and help minister Norman Lamb. “We want to assist them get the appropriate help and therapy as early as attainable. Diverting the individual away from offending and helping to decrease the threat of far more victims struggling due to further offences advantages every person.”

The money will be produced accessible above the up coming year to bridge the gap amongst the police, courts and mental well being companies in Avon and Wiltshire, Coventry, Dorset, Leicester, London, Merseyside, South Essex, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, Sussex and Wakefield. The Department of Wellness said it would ensure individuals receive the therapy they need to have “at the earliest achievable stage”. It has been estimated that police officers invest 15% to 25% of their time dealing with individuals with psychological wellness troubles. Policing minister Damian Green said: “Officers must be focused on fighting crimes and men and women with psychological health circumstances must get the care they want as early as feasible. These pilots will not only make sure that takes place but in the longer term will support drive down reoffending by folks who, with the proper type of remedy, can recover entirely.”

The scheme comes almost 5 many years following the landmark Bradley report explained too many offenders with psychological overall health issues and understanding disabilities have been ending up in prison with out accessibility to acceptable treatment method. A single of its suggestions was that all police stations and courts “should have access to liaison and diversion providers”.

Andy Bull, deputy chief executive of the Centre for Psychological Health, said: “The fact that this is a new investment in a new form of service – or one that is patchy at present – is hugely encouraging. This will genuinely aid a whole lot of people.” But he mentioned it was vital that companies have been available when mental well being problems had been identified.

Paul Jenkins, chief executive of Rethink Psychological Sickness, explained there had been some frustration at the sum of time it had taken to implement this kind of a scheme since the Bradley report, but welcomed the “actually important initiative”, which he stated would easily demonstrate its well worth. “There’s immense possible to divert folks away from high-priced prison sentences,” he mentioned. “But in the brief term we may just see it be significantly less problem for the police in terms of processing people, which will also conserve funds.”

Mental wellness nurses to be posted in police stations