Beijing bans leaded petrol

Measures which ban the sale of leaded petrol in the Chinese capital, Beijing, have come into effect as part of efforts to tackle the country's severe pollution.

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

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