Leaving your engine running in Wales could cost you £150

Drivers in Wales who leave their vehicle engine running while parked will face fines of up to £150 from Wednesday.

The change is part of a new measure by the Welsh government to try to reduce harmful pollution and to protect children's health.

The previous punishment for idling, as it is known, was £20 but that has now been raised to anywhere from £75 to £150, depending on circumstances.

The Welsh government said it hoped the increase will "change the habits of people who are polluting communities".

Llyr Gruffydd, cabinet minister for rural resilience and sustainability, said the £20 fixed fine for idling was "insufficient", and not being used "in the way everyone might envision it".

Increasing the fee that is available for local authorities to penalise drivers will be a "stronger deterrent", he added.

"We really do feel we need to step up here, clamp down on this as a problem and make sure we protect people's health and generally it will make communities a better place to live in."

Gruffydd said he hoped the higher range of fines will "change the habits of people who are polluting communities and are putting children and vulnerable people's health at risk".

Copyright for this text belongs to BBC.