ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

The mother of a young girl who died after a severe asthma attack is ramping up her fight against toxic air by taking her first step into politics.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah is standing for the Green Party’s candidate in the Lewisham East by-election on Thursday and is calling for the proposed ban on diesel cars to be brought forward by a decade.

“We’re not getting rid of diesel until 2040 in this country. Europe is doing things a lot quicker than we are and I’m saying “why can’t we do things in line with what Europe is doing?”

“The year 2030 is the what Paris and Berlin are aiming for so why can’t we?”

The teacher and charity campaigner from Hither Green said running to be MP in her home constituency seemed like a logical step to take after the campaigning she has done in memory of her daughter Ella.

The youngster died in February 2013 aged nine from acute respiratory failure after suffering years of coughing fits and seizures.

Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah believes London’s dirty air exacerbated her daughter’s health problems and has spent the last few years lobbying boroughs and the Mayor of London for better research into childhood asthma through the Ella Roberta Family Foundation.

“Eight to ten children die every year in London through asthma and I think it’s a disgrace. It needs to be on the Government’s agenda,” she said.

She also wants Environment Secretary Michael Gove to introduce a new Clean Air Bill that focuses more on children’s health.

Tonight Labour will boycott a by-election hustings after their candidate Janet Daby refused to share a platform with far-right For Britain candidate, Anne-Marie Waters. Her decision has been backed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Liberal Democrat candidate Lucy Salek told website PoliticsHome she would attend the hustings to “stand strong against any candidate that espouses intolerant views”.

Voters go to the polls on Thursday. Former MP Heidi Alexander resigned to take up a job as deputy mayor for transport with London Mayor Sadiq Khan.