Residents who own real coal fire or wood burning appliances are being asked to check the contents of what they are burning in a bid to help reduce pollution in Richmond.

For many years Richmond has been a ‘Smoke Control Area’.

This means that you cannot emit grey smoke from a chimney and should either burn an authorised fuel or use an ‘exempt appliance’, for example a Defra approved stove.

Cllr Martin Elengorn, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, said: “The damage to our health from air pollution is only just beginning to be fully and widely understood.

"We are breaching legal pollution limits across London and it is vital that everyone plays their part in trying to reduce air pollution.

“Many people don’t realise the restrictions that limit what you can burn.

"I urge all residents, before you light the match on your fires or stoves; please check that you are using authorised wood or coal or burning fuel in an exempt appliance.

“It is also worth remembering that you can be fined up to £1,000 if you break the Smoke Control Area rules.”

While emissions from vehicles and industry remain the biggest cause of air pollution, wood burning is a growing concern for experts who have noticed the impact of the increasing popularity of stoves and open fires on our already polluted air.

According to research by King’s College London, between 28,000 and 36,000 people die prematurely as a result of air pollution every year in the UK and 38 per cent of this damaging particulate matter comes from domestic wood-burners and open fires.

The Council also encourage residents to use authorised fire logs or coal that has been treated as it will to reduce pollutants which can be burned on an open fire.

Residents are also being asked to have dry storage for their real coal or wood burning appliances as damp fuel may cause smoke.

Always check the label of any fuel before it is purchased.

Authorised fuels will say that the product is suitable to burn in a Smoke Control Area.