LEVELS of nitrogen dioxide in an area of Newton Abbot are some 50 per cent more than the legal limit, it has been revealed.

The startling and worrying discovery was made by 71-year-old Eileen Barton, who lives in Wolborough Street.

She joined the Friends of the Earth’s clean air campaign and installed an air monitoring tube outside her home in February to test the quality of the air.

The results of the test showed the amount of the gas in the Wolborough Street area was nearly 60 micrograms per cubic metre – 20 higher than the EU’s legal limit of 40.

Eileen said: ‘My thoughts were it is not very healthy living here in Wolborough Street.

‘Goodness knows what it is like outside our schools and hospitals.

‘I knew the pollution level was over the limit as, just after we moved in in 2004, a survey was done across the road and one of the people taking part told me that was the case.’

The gas comes from a range of things including cars and cigarette smoke and can cause respiratory problems.

Oliver Haynes, Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner, said: ‘Our clean air kits help people to find out about the air quality in places they care about most.’

The results are being used as part of a national investigation the Friends of the Earth are running with King’s College London.

For more information and to order a clean air kit visit the Friends of the Earth’s website.