Parents leaving their engines on are contributing to high air pollution around schools, according to a Charlton deputy head teacher.

However the land on the school itself is saved from the worst of the pollution thanks to their large school garden.

Sean Macnamara is the deputy head teacher at Charlton Manor and he appeared on a BBC feature where air pollution researchers followed him and tracked the air pollution where he worked and lived.

Mr Macnamara said: “They turned up at our house at about 4.45 am. The scientist had several monitors we got real time data from that.

“It wasn’t until I was shown the data that I realised how bad it was and how it actually hits you personally.

The deputy head thought that the problem would be much worse along main roads but to his surprise it was in the suburbs where some of the worst levels were measured.

He said: “The levels outside my house are higher than anywhere else we measured.”

“The actual school site we have a school garden so the area here is good but the roads around it are really bad.

“They attributed it to idle vehicles with parents not turning their engines off.”

The school’s garden has earned awards and children take practical lessons, growing fruit and vegetables to take home.

Mr Macnamara said that he hopes through research like this, it will help more people become aware of the issues of air pollution.

He said: “You read those stories about pollution but you don’t realise that it’s not just London. You see it as a broader issue but you don’t see how it affects you.

“It will take substantial efforts to reduce the problem but change can happen if the public and parents are aware of how bad it is.”