Beijing bans leaded petrol

The Chinese authorities have declared a total ban on the sale of leaded petrol in the capital, Beijing, from tomorrow ,Thursday in an effort to tackle severe pollution.

The city's environmental protection agency said filling stations which failed to switch to unleaded fuel would be penalised.

The announcement extends a partial ban which was introduced in June.

Beijing is one of the most polluted cities in the world.

A recent World Bank report suggested that vehicle emissions in the city were similar to Los Angeles, although Beijing had only one-tenth the number of cars.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service