Air quality sensors are to be fitted in priority street locations to identify pollution hot spots.

The 45 Breathe London sensors will be situated in town centres, school streets and proposed new traffic scheme areas.

For example, they are being installed around the Royal Parks, where traffic levels and jams are at the centre of controversy.

Other sites include near East Sheen Primary School and St Richard Reynolds College.

The move is in line with Council policy to encourage a shift away from petrol and diesel cars to greener options, such as walking, cycling and public transport.

As part of the InnOvaTe Project, some of the sensors are paired with Vivacity traffic monitors. This means the air quality data can be measured in real time alongside information on the amount of traffic.

The sensors measure not only nitrogen dioxide levels, but small particulate matter (PM2.5), which are both harmful to human health.

The hope is that whis will allow a deeper understanding of different transport modes, movement patterns and their impact on air quality, and it is hoped will aid future schemes aimed at improving air quality.

The Council insisted that there is no Big Brother attempt to spy on people. No personal data is collected, and the technology cannot be used for road traffic enforcement purposes.

Breathe London is funded by the Mayor of London and aims to raise awareness of toxic air pollution across London, helping Councils to take action to improve local air quality.

The data collected through Breathe London sensors is backed by a dedicated team of researchers at Imperial College London.

Councillor Alexander Ehmann, Ccair of Richmond Council's Transport and Air Quality Committee, said: "We simply have to tackle air pollution, and the installation of both sensors will provide a granular picture of the links between transport, air quality and exposure as pollution levels change locally.

"The data will help shape our future policies and will also allow residents to monitor pollution levels in their local area."

Five south London councils, including Richmond, Kingston, Croydon, Merton and Sutton, are participating in the InnOvaTe Project.

The project is working with the University of Essex to understand how such sensors might be adapted and used in the future to, for example, help in fly tipping prevention, flood monitoring and the safeguarding of vulnerable residents living in supported housing.