Air pollution 'killed 800 in a year'

Pollution watchdog the Environment Agency said that although air quality generally continues to improve, a combination of climate change and pollution in the cities is causing occasional poor air quality.

Poor air quality is thought to contribute to between 12,000 and 24,000 premature deaths in the UK every year.

The report The State of the Environment says our rivers and bathing waters are the cleanest on record thanks to years of investment by industry.

But it warns more needs to be done to improve the ageing sewerage system and deal with other widespread pollution problems such as inadequate drainage systems and run-off from roads and fields.

The report says fewer than half of our urban rivers are of good quality because of pollution from road surfaces and sewers.

Following heavy storms in 2004, more than 600,000 tonnes of untreated sewage and storm water were washed into the River Thames.

The Environment Agency says we live in a wasteful society and every year the country produces 190 million tonnes of waste from households, industry and businesses.

More than a quarter of this waste is sent to landfill. Recycling rates are increasing slowly but are still far too low.

Inefficient use of resources such as energy and water costs UK businesses up to £3 billion a year.