Hillingdon has seen the biggest rise in deaths caused by air pollution nationally, figures show.

The number of deaths attributable to exposure to man-made particulate pollution, or "PM 2.5", rose by 0.36 per cent to 6.86 per cent between 2010 and 2011, according to Public Health England, an agency of the Department of Health.

Long-term exposure to these airborne pollutants can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, heart disease, and asthma.

Air pollution mortality rates worsened in 15 of 33 London boroughs in the same period, and the City of London had the highest rate in the country, at 8.94 per cent.

Westminster (8.32 per cent) and Kensington and Chelsea (8.27 per cent) were not far behind.

Hillingdon has to contend with emissions from Heathrow Airport, and vehicle exhaust from the busy surrounding network of major roads. The environment in the south of the borough - West Drayton, Heathrow Villages, and Hayes and Harlington - does not meet EU air quality standards.

Hillingdon council routinely measures and monitors the levels of air pollution, implementing measures to improve air quality when necessary.

Research done for the Mayor of London's Office in September showed that a third of roads in the borough will show harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide by 2020.

In February this year, London Mayor Boris Johnson launched the £20m Air Quality Fund, a 10-year project where match-funding will be offered to local authorities that devise innovative schemes to improve air quality.

Visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/airpollution