Over 400 buses in England are to be upgraded with green technology to cut the amount of harmful emissions that affect the country's towns and cities.

The technology is set to cut emissions by up to 90 per cent, reports the Department for Transport, which has provided £7 million in funding to carry out the improvements.

The project, entitled the Clean Bus Technology Fund 2015, will see 18 local authorities that suffer from particularly bad pollution hotspots now benefitting from 439 retrofitted buses. Thanks to high mileage and long operational lives, these buses can make a significant reduction in the amount of emissions in the air in towns and cities.

Speaking on the changes, transport minister Andrew Jones said: "The upgraded buses that will soon hit the roads in England continue our commitment to better air quality."

He continued: "By targeting pollution hotspots and backing the low-emissions technology of the future, we are making the right long-term decisions to improve people's lives."