Newspapers round on Grayling after he discourages new diesel vehicle purchases

The transport secretary Chris Grayling's weekend warning to motorists to "take a long, hard think" before buying a diesel vehicle have prompted fury in the media.

Grayling's comments reported in the Daily Mail on Saturday that motorists should hesitate before buying a diesel and "someone who is buying a car to drive around a busy city may think about buying a low-emission vehicle" were heavily criticised. The Daily Express said the comments were a "shocking gaff" given that 1.3m motorists had bought a diesel in the last year, whilst The Daily Telegraph highlighted AA research that "soaring petrol bills were ruining family life".

The latter newspaper and The Times claimed that a scrappage scheme to encourage replacement of diesel vehicles was likely as part of measures to reduce pollution.