Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: Vigil to mark birthday of girl killed by toxic air

Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah would have turned 18 on Monday

A vigil has been held on the eve of what would have been the 18th birthday of a schoolgirl whose death was partly caused by breathing toxic air.

Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road, in Lewisham, south-east London, died aged 9 in 2013.

Ella's mother Rosamund invited people to the bandstand in Mountsfield Park, Catford, on Sunday afternoon.

She said it was an "opportunity to get Ella's classmates together and remember her".

She added: "Secondly, we can't get away from the fact that, nine months on from the coroner's recommendations, we're still waiting for the government to act.

"Air pollution effects every single organ in our body, so this is a public emergency.

"The quality of people's lives is getting worse due to the air they are breathing."

About 100 people attended the vigil, where Rosamund spoke

The inquest into Ella's death found levels of nitrogen dioxide near her home exceeded World Health Organisation and European Union guidelines.

The hearing found Ella had been exposed to "excessive" levels of pollution which contributed to an asthma attack and a cardiac arrest.

The coroner, Philip Barlow, recommended lowering the legal limit of particulate matter in the air and improving public awareness.

• 'Did air pollution kill my daughter?'

• Pollution a factor in girl's death, inquest finds

• What comes next after air pollution death ruling?

Responding to the coroner's recommendations, the government announced it aimed to have new legal air pollution limits in place by October 2022.

Next month, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is due to publish emissions of key air pollutants, including particulate matter, for 2020.

Rosamund said people coming together was "powerful"

Last week, London's mayor laid out proposals to charge drivers a "small" daily fee of up to £2 for "all but the cleanest vehicles" to help hit climate change targets.

A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said: "The unwavering commitment of Ella's mother, Rosamund, to campaign for cleaner, safer air for our children has been truly inspiring, and we've been fortunate to learn from her.

"The mayor is committed to doing everything possible to ensure other families do not have to suffer the same heartbreak as her family."

Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who said that she "does not have a monopoly on grief", said she wanted to hold a vigil as "having lots people together is quite powerful".