In 1952 the great smog of London saw a week-long pea-souper take over the capital which contributed to the deaths of at least 4,000 people. In response to the disaster, the government passed the Clean Air Act of 1956 aimed at reducing air pollutants.
Recently, the new mayor of London Sadiq Khan unveiled plans to substantially increase the size of London’s clean air charging zone to tackle the capital’s illegal air pollution levels.
The Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) will require drivers of the 2.5m oldest and dirtiest vehicles to pay a charge. The scheme is intended to act as an incentive to drivers to use cleaner vehicles or alternative transport to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas produced by diesel vehicles.
Jeremy Corbyn has also said hundreds of thousands of people are dying as a result of poor air quality in the UK.
We’d like to hear your memories and stories of what the UK was like before the Clean Air Act. Do you remember London’s great smog? Share your photos, anecdotes and stories with us.
You can do so by clicking on the ‘Contribute’ button or by filling in our form below, and we’ll feature some of your contribution in our ongoing reporting.
