TWO more moss filters which are supposed to clean the air are being installed in Hereford.

They are part of a £6 million project to improve the city centre, with a total of three being installed by Herefordshire Council.

It said air pollution causes heart and lung disease and results in between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths every year in the UK, so clean air is essential for people's health.

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It said clean air measures are good for people's wellbeing as well as good for the planet.

"Moss is one of nature’s best air filters with the ability to absorb and metabolise fine dust and particles, helping to naturally clean the air we breathe," a spokesperson said.

"Moss also stores and evaporates large amounts of moisture which cools the air.

They said the new, "innovative" moss filters being installed in Hereford each take up about the same amount of space as one tree but due to the enormous surface area of moss, a moss filter is more efficient at filtering the air.

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They said each moss filter can clean about 80 per cent of fine dust and particles from the air around it.

The moss filters are being installed in busy traffic areas in the city where they will use specially selected mosses to help absorb pollution.

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The first was installed at Eign Gate last June. The two new filters are currently being fitted outside The Courtyard in Edgar Street and in Eign Street, by the Great Western Way underpass.

The three moss filters have been funded jointly by the council and Marches Local Enterprise Partnership as part of the ongoing £6 million Hereford City Centre Improvement project, which aims to enhance the city centre environment by encouraging people to spend more time in the city when they visit, helping to boost the local economy.