CAMPAIGNERS have hailed a European court ruling which is set to force the UK Government to take urgent action on air pollution that causes thousands of early deaths each year.

The UK breached European Union limits for nitrogen dioxide - a pollutant from vehicles and power stations which causes breathing and heart problems - in 40 of 43 areas of the country in 2010.

Under plans by the UK to meet the Air Quality Directive rules, 16 areas including Glasgow, Greater London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands would not even meet the pollution limits by a potential extended deadline of 2015.

The ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) found the UK was in breach of EU law and should have created plans to tackle air pollution in those areas by January 1, 2015, at the latest.

The UK courts should order the Government to establish plans to cut nitrogen dioxide pollution as soon as possible, the ECJ said.

Environmental lawyers ClientEarth, who brought the case, said the ruling meant the UK's Supreme Court must order the Government to take action to meet the legal limits in a much shorter time frame.

ClientEarth lawyer Alan Andrews said: "Thousands of people die because of air pollution every year.

"This ruling will save lives by forcing the Government to take this issue seriously."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "This judgment confirms where limit values are exceeded, plans must be developed which ensure compliance in the shortest possible time - this has always been the Government's position."