STAGECOACH, Festival Place, students and councils are joining forces to encourage residents to become part of the solution when it comes to air pollution.

Young clean air champions from Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) are carrying out a pollution investigation at the Festival Place bus station.

With support from Hampshire County Council’s My Journey Hampshire campaign and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, the students have put up diffusion tubes to measure nitrogen dioxide around the bus station.

Once they have collected all their data students are expected to present their results later this month.

County councillor Michael Westbrook put representatives from BCoT in touch with My Journey Hampshire after realising they were working towards a common goal.

Along with representatives from My Journey Hampshire, the borough council and Stagecoach, students hosted an information stand to highlight the importance of driving less and driving more efficiently.

They handed out anti-idling car stickers, created by the borough council as part of its Clean Air Basingstoke and Deane campaign, to passers-by and spoke with drivers about the importance of them switching off their own engines.

BCoT principal Anthony Bravo said: “This project has been a fantastic opportunity for our science students to see the local impact of pollution for themselves and put the skills they’ve learnt on their course into practice.

“It’s a great example of how partnership working can effect change and is just one of a number of ‘green’ activities we’re supporting in and around the college to help reduce the effects of climate change.

“These include introducing our own electric van, switching to biodegradable cutlery in our Refectory and reducing the number of plastic bottles used for water.”

Operations Manager for Stagecoach South Jayson Smith said: “We’re so pleased to be involved in partnership to promote the benefits of sustainable travel, and to encourage people to consider greener methods of travel.

“It’s a cause which we are extremely passionate about as a business”