As British tourists take to the seas, giant cruise ships spread pollution misery

More sea trade has helped the economy in Southampton but fears are rising over the damage to air quality

From the upstairs windows in Colin MacQueen's house there isn't a view of the sea but he can clearly see the ships. Docked in the port, less than half a mile away, they tower over the roofs of flats and houses. "They are colossal," he said. "These cruise liners are much bigger than the container ships. They use as much fuel as whole towns."

The view is pretty spectacular. But it's what he cannot see that worries MacQueen. Like many cities across the UK, Southampton has such poor air quality it breaches international guidelines, and while the government and local authorities are looking to take action on cars, maritime fuel - the dirtiest and most polluting of all diesels - is on no one's radar. Not only do the giant cruise liners churn out pollutants at sea, they also keep their engines running when they are docked in places like MacQueen's home town.

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