Lawyers plan to stop UK dropping EU rules on environment after Brexit

Taskforce head says complexity, scale and political resistance mean key protections could be lost during rollover into law

A taskforce of environmental lawyers is drawing up plans to stop thousands of EU rules protecting rivers, wildlife, coastlines and air quality from being dropped by the government after Brexit.

The EU is the source of most environmental protection in Britain and for 40 years has acted as a monitoring body and enforcer, with powers to fine member states for breaches in the law.