PARENTS are being warned about the schools which are near Glasgow’s most polluted roads.

A campaign is being launched which aims to help protect children from dirty air after analysis showed 950 schools across the UK are within 150 metres of roads with illegal air pollution.

Billboard adverts are going up in some of the most polluted towns and cities, including Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Derby,Leeds, London, Manchester and Southampton, with details of the number of schools in the area near polluted roads.

Schools breaching the 150-metre safe zone include; Bellahouston Academy in the city’s South Side, St Patrick’s Primary School which is close to the M8, Anderston Primary School and Ashpark Primary School.

Air pollution is linked to the early deaths of about 40,000 people a year in the UK, causes problems such as heart and lung diseases and asthma and affects children’s development.

Supporters of the Poisoned Playgrounds campaign are being urged to put pressure on the Government, via their MPs, to take action to curb air pollution.

A YouGov survey for the environmental lawyers found three quarters (76%) of 1,141 parents and carers questioned want extra measures to protect pupils whose schools and playgrounds are in illegally-polluted areas.

More than half (57%) of 1,658 adults questioned in the poll felt the Government was not acting quickly enough to tackle the UK’s air quality problems.

The findings came from an assessment for environmental law charity ClientEarth of the latest government data.

ClientEarth air quality lawyer Alan Andrews said: “Thousands of children in this country are playing in playgrounds near illegally polluted roads.

“This is a legal and moral failing of our political leaders that puts children’s health at risk at a time when they are still growing and therefore vulnerable.”

A Government spokeswoman said: “We have put in place a £3 billion plan to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

“As part of that investment, we are supporting local authorities to develop plans to address pollution hot spots in their areas, including near schools.

“Next year we will publish a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy tackling all forms of air pollution.”

To search for a school go to www.poisonedplaygrounds.co.uk