The value of some used diesel cars has dropped by as much as 26% since the start of this year amid a crackdown on older vehicles.

Second-hand Vauxhall, Audi and BMW diesels have fallen most in price, according to research by the car-buying website Motorway.co.uk. The average used Vauxhall Corsa with a diesel engine has slumped in price from £2,160 to just £1,592 since the start of 2017, a drop of 26%.

The average used diesel car fell in value by 5.7% between the first quarter of 2017 and the third quarter, while used petrol car values rose by 5%.

Motorists are increasingly worried that diesels could become near-worthless in years to come as cities ban the dirtiest polluting vehicles.

Next month the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is introducing a £10 emissions surcharge – also known as the toxicity charge, or T-Charge – on top of the existing £11.50 congestion charge that is expected to hit around 10,000 pre-2006 cars, with diesels likely to be most affected.

Other cities in the UK have also debated following London, with plans mooted for parts of Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton.
Air pollution is believed to cause almost 40,000 premature deaths every year in the UK, with the British government warned this week by the UN that it has violated its obligation to protect people’s lives and health.

Over the past couple of years there has been a constant stream of negative news for diesel vehicle owners, from the VW emissions scandal to new scientific evidence on diesel’s impact on air quality.

Read more: The Guardian