Any driver caught sitting in a parked car with the engine running will be fined under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed penalty) (Scotland) Regulations 2003.

The Council’s enforcement officers started issuing £20 (idling) fixed penalty fines in November 2005.

Raising awareness of the link between vehicle emissions and air pollution and taking action against offenders are two key commitments the Council made in Glasgow's Air Quality Action Plan.

Yet, despite 350 yellow signs put up outside schools last year reminding drivers that sitting parked in the car with the engine running is illegal and punishable by a fixed penalty fine, motorists are still breaking the law.

The Council’s Land and Environmental Services remains undeterred and are determined to get the message across by focusing on known problem areas - mainly outside schools.

The campaign coincides with the launch of an advertising campaign - ‘Kill the fumes. Let them breathe’ - which includes a specially made television advert which pupils from St Patrick’s Primary helped produce and film.

Councillor Ruth Simpson, Executive Member of for Land and Environmental Services, said: "Everyone who lives in and travels to Glasgow has a responsibility to cut down air pollution. We need to get the message across about the health dangers associated with unnecessary engine idling.

"We’ve launched ‘Kill the fumes. Let them breathe’ campaign to remind people not just about the fines they face, but the serious consequences of failing to take action and cut down on vehicle emissions today.

"By simply switching off your engine when parked outside a school you will immediately help improve our city’s air quality and make a tangible difference for future generations."

Glasgow City Council’s enforcement approach is the most proactive of all UK cities. It focuses on mixing enforcement work with education.

The air quality campaigns are funded by the Scottish Government. The latest £80,000 campaign, ‘Kill the fumes. Let them breathe’, begins Monday, 17 March and includes adverts being placed in newspapers, TV and radio.

Payment of the £20 fixed penalty notice must be received within 28 days, after which time the charge increases to £40.  To learn more, click here.