UK government wrong to subsidise diesel, says former minister

Lord Drayson says diesel cars, which received subsidies from Labour in 2001, are 'literally killing people'

Former science minister Lord Drayson has admitted that the Labour government's support for diesel cars was a mistake, and warned that diesels are "literally killing people".

The comments came a day after Volkswagen, the world's biggest carmaker, admitted that almost 1.2m vehicles in the UK were involved in the diesel emissions scandal that has rocked the company. This means more than one-in-10 diesel cars on Britain's roads are affected.