WESTMINSTER City Council is 'declaring war' on dirty old diesel vehicles as part of a concerted effort to drive smog out of the heart of London. The council wants to encourage all fleet operators to make an effort to clean up their vehicles - reinforcing the message with stiff penalties under a Government pilot scheme for those who refuse to co-operate.

Ultimately, 'dirty' vehicles could be banned completely from entering the city, according to Councillor Jonathan Lord, chairman of Westminster's Environment sub-committee. Speaking at a seminar for fleet operators on developing a low emission vehicle fleet, Lord said council smog-busters would start imposing £60 on-the-spot fines on the drivers of vehicles which failed random roadside emissions tests.

'If we could declare war on diesel engines, that would be a good start,' said Lord. 'Not long ago, people thought diesel was actually cleaner than petrol, but in fact, it is worse. Ultimately, I would like to see more polluting vehicles banned from entering Westminster - that's why we are pressing the Government very seriously on these issues.'