No reply from PM on air quality targets, says mother of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah

The mother of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah says she is yet to have a reply from the Prime Minister on when the Government will publish its air quality targets.

9-year-old Ella from Lewisham was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death, because of toxic air from the South Circular Road near to where she lived.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah has campaigned for improved air quality since her daughter's death in 2013 and wrote to Rishi Sunak about publishing the targets - which should have been released on 31st October - when he took office, but has had no response.

Last week England's Chief Medical Officer published a report telling minsters they need to take the issue seriously.

Professor Chris Whitty also suggested people should have the courage to tell motorists to stop idling engines outside places such as schools, as part of efforts to tackle pollution.

"My daughter died a terrible death," said Rosamund. "Children continue to die, it's incredibly sad.

"Air pollution is a silent pandemic, we never refer to it as that, but when you think about it air pollution is literary everywhere."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs failed to respond to our request for a statement on when the targets would be published