A new report has claimed that half of people in Britain will suffer allergies to pollen by 2030.

Experts at the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit suggest that pollution and climate change could result in 30 million people suffering hay fever symptoms within the next twenty years.

Currently, ten million people in Britain experience symptoms caused by pollen in the spring and summer months but the figures could rise due to an increase in urban living.

The report’s author, Professor Jean Emberlin of the University of Worcester, told the Daily Telegraph that hay fever rates in urban settings are equal to, or in some cases higher than, rates in the surrounding countryside even though pollen counts are lower in cities.

“The fact that the UK’s urban population is expected to grow significantly over the next couple of decades is likely to accentuate the natural rise in hay fever and allergies,” said Professor Emberlin.

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