TRAFFIC pollution is causing hundreds of people in Greenwich and Lewisham to die prematurely every year, according to a recent report.

The study commissioned by Mayor of London Boris Johnson found that long-term exposure to the pollution causes 150 early deaths per year in Greenwich and 153 in Lewisham.

Evelyn ward is listed as the most polluted area in Lewisham with 10 premature deaths per year.

In Greenwich borough, Thamesmead Moorings and Woolwich Riverside are the most polluted areas.

Each of these wards has 11 premature deaths per year.

The findings come from a report published by the Institute of Occupational Medicine.

Green Lewisham councillor and London Assembly environment committee chairman Darren Johnson said: "I have been warning different mayors of London for the last decade that we would face legal action and a huge fine if we don't give this issue the political priority it deserves.

"If there was anything else that caused this number of deaths there would be an absolute uproar - a real scandal - and it would be headline news every day.

"We have sleep-walked our way into this air pollution nightmare.

“We must get our streets cleaned up."

A spokeswoman for the mayor said: “The Mayor takes this issue extremely seriously.

“That is why he is investing around £250 million a year on sustainable long-term measures to tackle air quality such as a cycling revolution, converting the bus fleet to hybrid, increasing the use of zero-polluting electric vehicles and introducing the New Bus for London.”