BRITAIN’S first pollution-busting bus has hit the road in a £100,000 attempt to help Southampton tackle the issue of toxic air.

One of the Bluestar vehicles operating in the city has been equipped with an air filtration device which will collect particulates - microscopic pollutants that can harm human health.

The eco-friendly single-decker will clean the air as it travels between Sholing and other parts of the city.

Its roof-mounted device will swallow tiny airborne particles, including those produced by brakes and tyres, as well as the dust created by roadworks.

The device is the result of a huge investment by the Go-Ahead Group, which has carried out an extensive research and development programme in conjunction with Pall Aerospace in Portsmouth.

Its new-look bus, which will operate on Route 7, was unveiled in Guildhall Square yesterday at the start of a three-month trial.

Experts will compare the weight of the filters before and after the experiment and use the data to gauge the efficiency of the scheme - the first of its type in the UK.

Southampton was chosen after the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted the issue of poor air quality in the city and its impact on human health.

If the device proves successful it could be fitted to all Bluestar buses in Southampton and other polluted parts of the UK.

Guests at the unveiling ceremony included Royston Smith, Tory MP for Southampton Itchen and a former leader of the city council.

He said: “I think it’s really forward thinking of Go-Ahead.

“The company is looking beyond the problem of emissions, which we’re all obsessed with at the moment. They’re examining the issue of other pollutants and attempting to do something about it.

“If it does prove to be beneficial I can see it being rolled out elsewhere, with smaller versions of the device being attached to the 400 vehicles operated by the city council.”

David Brown, chief executive of the Go-Ahead Group, added: “I see buses as a solution to city problems such as congestion and hopefully they will become a solution to the problem of cleaning up the air.”

Andrew Wickham, managing director of Bluestar, said: “[Poor air] can lead to asthma and premature death, so cleaning the air in this way could lead to a number of lives being saved.”