CLEAN air campaigners will meet on the civic centre steps today in advance of a council meeting.

Cabinet members will be scrutinising plans to bring in a clean air zone.

As reported city environment chiefs decided not to charge commercial vehicles to enter the city.

Now activists say they plan to speak at the civic centre meeting. John Spottiswoode called the clean air zone consultation "a farce" and said: "The 'do the minimum that they can get away with to avoid a substantial fine' option as in the Committee papers should be rejected.

"Instead they should be taking an option to reduce the air pollution by at least half, which is likely to entail a Clean Air Zone.

"The CAZ does not have to be a charging zone as it could instead, or also, involve substantial further pedestrianisation of the City Centre and other shopping areas in the city such as Portswood.

"It could also involve park and ride schemes with electric transport within the city, a substantial investment in safe cycle routes, plus encourage people to use the train to come into Southampton centre.

Campaigners from city environmental groups will meet at 5pm today - and say they will be calling for "breathable cities."

As reported groups including Extinction Rebellion and Green Resistance took to the city centre on Saturday, where they rolled 110 orange ping pong balls down the civic centre steps to symbolise the number of people estimated to die every year due to pollution in Southampton. They then staged a "die-in" at the Bargate before unfurling a massive banner in Westquay calling for "respect."

They will also meet on January 22 from 9.30am in advance of the clean air consultation special cabinet meeting.