Pollution levels are exceeding European Union limits on five of the most heavily congested roads in Leicester.

New figures show five of the city's eight pollution monitors have registered annual figures above set targets.

The city council has now admitted it could one day have to take radical action to cut the rising pollution levels.

The council prefers promoting sensible car use, but could consider banning 4x4s and heavy polluting lorries from certain roads.

Figures released to the Mercury show Leicester's most polluted road broke EU fume limits 61 times last year.

Dangerous nitrogen dioxide levels in Glenhills Way rocketed in 2009, meaning the area now has the worst air quality in the city.

Vaughan Way, Abbey Lane, St Matthews Way and Melton Road also failed to meet stringent targets set by Brussels.
High levels of the toxic gas, found in vehicle exhaust fumes, can cause bronchitis and are linked to heart attacks.

Leicester City Council's pollution team manager Evan Davies said: "There are various options that could be looked at here in Leicester.

"Could it include restrictions on heavy-polluting vehicles entering parts of the city? Possibly, it depends on how radical councillors want to be. "There are several European countries which restrict which vehicles can enter their city centres at peak times for pollution reasons."

Eight pollution stations are operated by the council in congestion hotspots. They take air samples every fifteen minutes, measuring how much nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, is in the atmosphere.

The European Union sets an annual average limit of 40mg of NO2in a cubic metre of air. Five of the stations recorded levels above that over the course of last year.

Glenhills Way registered an average of 75mg over the year – its highest figure for five years – Vaughan Way had 57mg, St Matthews Way 56mg, Melton Road 56mg, while Abbey Lane had 44mg. The EU also sets a limit on how many times each area can exceed 200mg of NO2over a single hour.Glenhills Way exceeded that limit 61 times last year.

Statistics show pollution has worsened in Glenhills Way since measurements were first taken in 1999.Mr Davies said: "Figures can fluctuate from year-to-year based on various factors, such as the weather, but a trend over a decade shows that an area is a particular problem."Air pollution is not something that can be dealt with overnight."

A new long-term traffic strategy is due to be created next year.

City council leader Ross Willmott said: "I'd prefer to educate drivers about the effect heavy-polluting vehicles have on the environment, but if that doesn't work then we'd have to look at all options open to us."The council has a part to play, developing a new £67m city centre bus station shows our commitment to this."We're also hoping to bring in hybrid buses."

Glenfield Hospital lung cancer expert Dr Michael Peake said: "Chronic bronchitis and emphysema can be made worse by nitrogen dioxide.

"There is also some evidence to suggest it could also lead to an increased likelihood of suffering a heart attack."
Despite rush-hour congestion, London Road sits comfortably within the pollution limits, as do Imperial Avenue and Uppingham Road.

Britain has been fined £450,000-a-day by the EU since 2004 as cities have not been hitting the strict pollution target levels. The Government has announced it will challenge the mounting fine in the courts later this year.