A leading campaigner concerned that London is facing its 'biggest public health crisis for decades' is urging London’s mayoral candidates to step up the capital's efforts to cut pollution.

The campaign for Clean Air in London yesterday launched its manifesto for the election on 3 May, urging the next mayor of London and the London Assembly to boost the city’s commitment to using cleaner transport and cutting emissions.

Among the priorities listed, the manifesto calls for the next mayor to champion the case for air quality with the UK and European governments, cut traffic pollution and use planning powers to cut the capital’s carbon emissions.

Simon Birkett, founder and director of Clean Air in London, said he was also planning to rank the mayoral candidates on their commitment to measures to help voters decide which party would do the most to improve London’s air quality.

However, he warned that incumbent mayor Boris Johnson is already 'well behind on this issue'.

Johnson has faced consistent criticism from green businesses and campaigners over his environmental record over the continued failure to bring the capital into line with EU air quality standards, cuts to a number of environmental programmes and the decision not to extend the city's congestion charging scheme.

'London is back where we thought it was during the Great Smog of 1952,” said Birkett. “Boris Johnson says there were 4,267 early deaths in London in 2008 attributable to long-term exposure to ‘invisible’ air pollution.

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