New diesel and petrol vehicles to be banned in UK from 2040

New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the United Kingdom from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution, the government is set to announce.

UK Ministers will also unveil a £255 million fund to help councils tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a £3 billion package of spending on air quality, the BBC reports on Wednesday.

The government will publish its court-mandated clean air strategy later, days before a High Court deadline.

Campaigners said the measures were promising, but more detail was needed.

The government was ordered by the courts to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide.

It came after judges agreed with environmental campaigners that previous plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits.

UK Ministers had to set out their draft clean air strategy plans in May, with the final measures due by 31 July.