Dangerous pollutants are being emitted on North Somerset’s roads following an increase of diesel vehicles.

The Government aims to end sales of new conventional petrol and diesel cars by 2040 as part of efforts to clean up transport.

In North Somerset, there were 46,055 registered diesel cars by the end of 2018, and 12,959 diesel vans.

They made up 41 per cent of the area's vehicles.

Around one in every 250 were ultra low emissions vehicles - an electric or plug-in hybrid.

The number of diesel vehicles has increased by 10 per cent since 2015, which is 5,200 more diesel cars and vans on the streets.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "These figures show there remains a gaping hole between the ambition to green the vehicle fleet and the reality on the road.

"The relatively slow take up of electric cars shows how important government incentives remain."