PLANS to introduce an anti idling campaign across the borough were approved at a council meeting last night (November 23).

The two-pronged proposal will lead to enforcement of the discretionary powers held by officers to issue fixed penalty fines to drivers, as well as a media campaign similar to the London model to warn people of the dangers of nitrogen dioxide poisoning.

Officers have the authority to issue £20 fines to drivers who refuse to switch off their engines when asked.

Reading Borough Council hope that active enforcement of this legislation in sensitive areas, such as taxi ranks and schools, will lead to a reduction in carbon emissions.

James Crosbie, the council's regulatory services manager who presented the report, said: "We will need at least six months to a year to show any kind of success or failure from the campaign.

"With regards to the taxi trade, the proposed changes have been communicated and we hope to adopt these changes tomorrow morning."

Despite making a 38 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per head since 2005, the Council's concern over meeting EU targets by 2020 means that further measures need to be implemented.

Reading Buses collected the Environment Award at the UK Bus Awards this week for their 'Planet Reading' initiative, but Councillor Tony Page has warned that the cancelling of the electrification scheme to trains operating in the area spells bad news for Reading's environmental policy.

He said: "There is still a lot of hard work to be done. In terms of air quality particularly, the problem of diesel emissions from trains in the borough is only going to get worse over the next few years.

"The government's cancelling of the electrification programme spells bad news for Reading. It will bring many more diesel trains through the area."