AN early example of automotive pollution was exercising a Mr Black, whose letter was published in the Gazette 100 years ago.

"On Tuesday morning last the police I am told were on the warpath amongst the milksellers, for which they have the best thanks of all those who believe in the purity of milk.

"There are, however, other things more nauseous to some people than weak milk, and if the police had only walked along Worcester Road from the Police Station to Holly Mount Stables, between 8 and 8.30 on the same morning, they would have seen a 'crocky' motor tractor trying to get a load of bricks up the hill.

"To assist it, one of the men in attendance shovelled gravel from off the footpath under the wheels to enable the tractor to get sufficient grip to move along.

"The motor at the same time was issuing a cloud of dense black smoke such as one sees coming out of a small coke oven, and which must have been a nuisance to those living in the adjacent houses.

"Some time ago a local driver was prosecuted for allowing black smoke to be emitted from his motor, but there was a doubt in the matter, and the driver got the benefit of it.

"There could be no doubt about the offence on Tuesday morning, and I may say it is not the first time I have seen the same motor 'poisoning the air' with its black cloud of smoke and endangering the ladies' toilets with its showers of soot from the chimney. Perhaps the hour was too early for the police to be about."