Motorists warned over Newcastle Clean Air Zone text scam

The Clean Air Zone was introduced in Newcastle in January

Drivers are being warned not to fall for a text scam asking them to pay for entering Newcastle's Clean Air Zone (CAZ).

Messages have been sent asking people to click on a link and pay £3, the city council said.

The authority said it would never send a text message to inform affected motorists they were subject to a toll.

It comes after a warning was issued earlier this month by Tyne Tunnel operator TT2 Ltd about a similar scam.

The CAZ covers the city centre and the Tyne, Swing, and Redheugh bridges, with charges of either £12.50 or £50 per day applying to vehicles that do not meet emissions standards.

Private cars exempt

Only the highest-polluting buses, coaches, HGVs, and taxis are currently subject to tolls, with vans and LGVs due to be added to that list on 17 July.

All private cars are exempt, but motorists can check whether their vehicle is compliant by visiting the government's official web page.

Referring to the scam, a council spokesperson said: "If you receive this text message please do not click the link.

"We would never send notification of a CAZ charge to anyone by text message."

The scheme was launched in January after the government served local councils with an order to cut emissions.

Poor air quality has been linked to more than 300 premature deaths on Tyneside per year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.