Express reporter Toby Codd visited the most polluted part of the UK (Image: Toby Codd)
Air pollution remains a problem across the UK with millions of people in cities breathing air that breaches legal safety limits. It was recently revealed that parts of Camden, in London, are the most polluted in the country due to constant heavy traffic and tall buildings.
I visited the area this week to speak with locals about the situation and see firsthand how bad it had become. As soon as I stepped off the Tube at Camden Town, I was hit by a feeling of warmth and inhaled dry air. Although it wasn’t noticeably hotter than when I got on the train at Canary Wharf around 30 minutes before, it did seem stuffier and closer.
That heat continued as I passed through the barriers and onto the street. To no surprise, the streets were buzzing with people going about their day-to-day lives while the roads were fairly busy with traffic.
The hot air, bustling streets, and constant traffic came as no surprise – I was in London on an afternoon in July. The real eye-opener came when I spoke to people who lived in the area.
As I told them about the new research, which shows residents across Camden, including areas such as Holborn, St Giles, and Covent Garden, breathe in an average of nearly 21 micrograms of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and over 34 micrograms of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) every year, they were not shocked. In fact, their response was one of hopelessness and defeat.
I asked each of them if more needed to be done to reduce pollution in the area and while they each acknowledged that there did, they seemed surrendered to the fact that it was unlikely to improve in the near future. Most smiled at me with a look of resignation as if to say: “It is what it is.”
The streets were busy with people and the roads full of cars (Image: Toby Codd)
They have accepted that they live in one of the most populated and built-up areas of the country so have to live with pollution. It’s seemingly become a part of their lives which is both sad on a human level and irresponsible on the part of the local authorities.
While a spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said the Mayor has taken “bold action” to tackle air pollution, and Camden Council pointed to initiatives such as installing electric vehicle chargers, cycle lanes and bike hangars to improve local air quality, many residents see the situation very differently. For them, pollution has become an unavoidable part of daily life – something they have had to adapt to rather than expect to change.
Many residents, especially those living in high-rise flats and estates, have been forced to endure this summer’s heatwaves with their windows and doors shut due to the risk of dust and particles sweeping into their home.
For brief visitors like me, pollution isn’t obvious or a health risk. During my visit, which spanned around three hours, I didn’t suffer from an itchy nose, coughing or a tight chest.
Camden is the most polluted part of the UK (Image: Getty)
But it’s not about the people who go in and out of these pollution hotspots for brief periods, it’s about the people who spend their lives there, sleeping and working. They’re the people that deserve help to avoid long-term health problems caused by pollution.
A Camden Council spokesperson said: “Improving air quality is one of our top priorities, and we have made significant progress in recent years. This includes helping to tackle air pollution through cleaner transport, stricter planning policies, electric vehicle infrastructure, and educational sessions reaching thousands of residents and schoolchildren.
“Camden was the first local authority in the country to adopt World Health Organization air quality standards, which go further than national legal limits. Our extensive monitoring network shows a 21% reduction in annual average nitrogen dioxide in central Camden locations between 2023 and 2025, with pollution levels in areas including Holborn, Clerkenwell, Covent Garden and St Giles falling considerably and meeting the UK legal limit.
Pollution remains an issue in cities across the UK (Image: Getty)
“Whilst we welcome that progress, we know there is still more to do. Too many people are still exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution, which is why we’re continuing to work towards meeting WHO standards across the borough by 2034 and calling for stronger national action to help improve air quality even further.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: “Bold action taken by the Mayor, including introducing the world’s largest clean air zone, has reduced pollution, improved Londoners’ health and saved lives. It has helped to bring London within legal limits for NO2 pollution for the first time in 2024 – 184 years earlier than experts forecast meaning that all Londoners are now breathing cleaner air.
“Despite this significant progress, the evidence shows air pollution is still contributing to thousands of premature deaths. That’s why the Mayor is committed to continuing his work to clean up London’s air and build a greener, fairer city for everyone.”