'Two in three Londoners would quit capital over air pollution'

Two thirds of Londoners would move away from the capital to escape toxic air, research shows.

Transport strikes, overcrowding, poor housing and noise also factored highly in fed-up residents’ reasons to leave the city, a report suggested.

Removals firm AnyVan.com quizzed 1,000 Londoners on their reasons for leaving the capital and found ever-increasing air pollution was their biggest worry.

Last week, Sadiq Khan was forced to issue the most severe warning for air pollution, urging Londoners to stay indoors over fears for their health.

Toxic air hit the highest level in six years, according to government figures.

Jobs, prosperity and financial gains prompted people to move to London initially, research showed.

Devon and Cornwall were named the most desirable places to live in the UK.

Angus Elphinstone, chief executive of AnyVan, said: "Typically, people have gravitated towards London because of the availability of jobs, general feeling of prosperity and financial rewards on offer, but it seems that pollution and overcrowding are the key factors in people moving away.

"The fact that more people are moving out of London than moving in shows that something must be done to improve this."

Friends of the Earth clean air campaigner Oliver Hayes added: "London remains a wonderful city, full of compelling reasons to live here - but with the capital suffering appalling pollution problems it's hardly surprising that many Londoners have considered leaving.

"It's essential for residents, and the millions of visitors to the capital each year, that urgent, radical action is taken on air pollution."