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A new device that could reduce the worst emissions from diesel vehicles could be used to clear up the air in London.

The Mayor of London has launched a consultation to designate Greater London as a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) that would move the city closer to achieving national and EU air quality objectives for 2010 and "improve the health and quality of life of people who live and work in London".

A company in Manchester, Per-Tec, has developed a new device that reduces exhaust emissions from the moment an engine starts, Edie News reports.

The electrostatic diesel particulate reduction gadget removes more than 90 per cent of particulates from exhaust fumes and can be fitted to most vehicles.

The LEZ would discourage the most polluting vehicles from driving in Greater London and require older diesel vehicles, such as lorries and buses, to reduce emissions before entering the city.

Per-Tec chairman and managing director, Peter Kukla, said: "The Power Trap's qualities make it ideal for the proposed low emission zone in London as it starts removing particulate matter from the minute you start the engine and operates fully in slow moving traffic even whilst waiting at traffic lights."

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone commented at the launch of the consultation: "The proposed low emission zone is the most effective way of reducing the most harmful vehicle emissions quickly and will make London one of the only cities in the world to have taken such a radical step to tackle air pollution."

The consultation period for the LEZ runs from the end of January until April 24th and plans include charging the heaviest vehicles entering the zone up to £200 a day from 2008.

Air quality in London is currently among the worst in Europe and affects many residents with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.