BRADFORD Council says it is "legally and morally obliged" to address the district's pollution levels through the implementation of the Clean Air Zone.

Council bosses have been criticised by Keighley MP Robbie Moore over the introduction of the zone, under which commercial vehicles that fail to meet certain emission standards are charged a daily fee to enter Shipley and Bradford. Ordinary passenger cars are exempt.

Mr Moore says the scheme, which came into force this week, is a "direct tax imposed by Bradford Council on hardworking people" and he is calling for it to be scrapped.

He said: "As the Government cuts taxes for low-income families and announces a freeze on energy bills, Bradford Council is ploughing on with introducing a completely preposterous tax which will undoubtedly stifle growth for the area.

"Implementing this tax during a time of hardship for families and businesses across our district illustrates just how tone deaf Bradford Council has shown itself to be over the past two years. Ultimately, this Clean Air Zone tax will be a heavy burden to many and these plans in my view will do very little to actually improve the environment."

But council leader, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, says: "Robbie Moore’s Government is inflicting terrible damage on the living standards of ordinary people whilst pushing through tax cuts for the top one per cent. It’s just not credible that he tries to take the high ground on tax and the economy.

"As he knows full well, Bradford Council has been mandated by the Government to implement a Class C+ charging Clean Air Zone because of illegally high levels of air pollution. Bradford is one of a growing number of cities told by Government to introduce these zones. It is the Government’s own Clean Air Zone systems we are obliged to use and the Government takes a slice of every fee drivers pay.

"We understand why Government is in this position. They are being sued by clean air campaigners to get back within legal air quality levels in the nation’s cities. Robbie Moore makes no reference to the fact that one in five children in our district suffers breathing problems or that there are 380 people a week visiting our hospitals’ A&E departments with breathing difficulties. It is something however that the council is legally and morally obliged to address in the quickest possible time with the charging Clean Air Zone."