Great Smog of London: Could the deadly 'pea souper' happen again in London?

By Sally Williams, ITV News London Weather Presenter

This week marks the 70th anniversary of the Great Smog of London where thick clouds of smoke and fog led to the deaths of more than 4,000 people.

Cars were abandoned, trains disrupted and airports were forced to close when extreme cold weather mixed with pollution from burning coal.

The smog, also known as a 'pea souper', started on December 5th on a cold day when many people were burning coal to keep warm.

"It made the government really sit up and pay attention because a huge number of people died," said Jane Burston from the Clean Air Fund. "There were about 4,000 people who sadly died at the time of the event and about 8,000 more in the subsequent weeks and months," she explained.

Smoke from homes cars and factories would normally rise into the air and blow away. But in 1952 high pressure and lack of wind trapped the poisonous smoke for several days. It was a deadly episode which slowly sparked change. In 1956 the first Clean Air Act was introduced but still not everyone thought air pollution was dangerous. Speaking in 1966, Eric Woodbridge from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said: "There is a pollution problem which is annoying and irritating but we have no medical evidence yet that it is a real health hazard." London still sees a build up of pollution today particularly when the air is still, nothing like in 1952 but thousands still die prematurely in this country every year. "Air pollution is still a massive issue. It is now coming from other sources such as cars and new types of inducstry and is still extremely deadly and still somehting that we live with in London seventy years after the Great Smog," said Tim Dexter from Asthma + Lung UK.

London has a new clean air vision and anti-pollution measures such as the zone in London know as ULEZ where polluting cars pay a charge.

But campaigners say more must be done to keep the air clean and us safe.

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