Enfield and Haringey councils have been urged to bid for part of £6 million from the Mayor of London to protect “vulnerable” members of the community against toxic air.

The money comes as part of Sadiq Khan’s £20 million Air Quality Fund, which is used to tackle air pollution across the capital through council led initiatives.

Now London Assembly member for Enfield and Haringey, Joanne McCartney is calling on the councils to bid for part of the money to make a “huge difference” to the people’s health in the community.

Ms McCartney said: “With air pollution contributing to the premature deaths of thousands of Londoners every year, it is fundamental that we use all the tools at our disposal to clamp down on dangerous emissions.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that children, and the most vulnerable members of our community, are being routinely exposed to toxic air.

“We have seen boroughs across London, including our own already benefit from previous rounds of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund, but there is still a lot more to be done if we are to effectively target pollution hotspots in our community.”

Cllr Kirsten Hearn, cabinet member for environment at Haringey Council, said: “Air pollution is a massive issue that affects our residents’ lives and we are working hard to find ways to tackle it in Haringey, including developing an air quality action plan.

“We are currently preparing a bid for the Mayor of London’s Air Quality Fund – vital money that could make a real difference in our community.

“This is an issue that we are taking seriously and any funding we receive will offer an important boost as we work to improve air quality in our borough.”

A spokesperson for Enfield Council said: “We are now looking at the current Air Quality Fund guidance to determine what opportunities there are for securing funding for new projects, potentially including a ‘Neighbourhood of the Future’ (NoF) in Enfield Town, which has been identified as a priority by the Mayor.”