Drivers warned over buying diesel cars itv.com

Drivers should think long and hard before buying a diesel car, the Transport Secretary has said.

Chris Grayling suggested motorists should consider buying a low-emission vehicle rather than spending their money on a diesel.

His intervention follows reports the Government is considering a scrappage scheme for diesel cars to improve air quality.

The reported scheme would see drivers offered a cash incentive for replacing an old diesel car with a low-emission vehicle.

Asked whether motorists should hesitate before buying a diesel, Mr Grayling told The Daily Mail: "People should take a long, hard think about what they need, about where they're going to be driving, and should make best endeavour to buy the least polluting vehicle they can.

"I don't think diesel is going to disappear but someone who is buying a car to drive around a busy city may think about buying a low-emission vehicle rather than a diesel."

Concern over the impact of diesel cars on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels were raised by the Volkswagen emissions scandal in September 2015.

It emerged 11 million Volkswagen diesel vehicles around the world had been fitted with software to release fewer smog-causing pollutants during tests than in real-world driving conditions.