MORE funds should be invested to tackle air pollution in the UK, a Green MEP for Oxfordshire has said.

Keith Taylor welcomed a House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee report which said current measures to tackle air pollution are inadequate.

But he said proposals to give cities enhanced powers to sort out the problem are not enough unless they are backed up with money for infrastructure improvements.

The report from the committee said 50,000 preventable deaths each year were linked to air pollution.

Mr Taylor said: "While I welcome the report’s acknowledgement of the problem, I don’t agree that the solution is as simple as that proposed by the committee. 'Enhanced powers’ alone not enough to reduce deadly air pollution levels without the Government funding needed to underwrite any necessary infrastructure improvements.

"We need bold, decisive actions that are fully financially backed. We don't need a symbolic devolution of hollow powers."

Mr Taylor said the EU had led on the issue and it was one of the main reasons why he wanted Britain's membership to continue.