LOW traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) had no measurable effect on London Fire Brigade response times last year, according to new data.

London Fire Brigade's annual report on incident response times revealed that it had not yet noticed any impact on attendance times as a result of low traffic neighbourhoods being put in place.

However, it said response times may have been better because the roads were quieter due to lockdown restrictions.

The report said: "In 2020 a number of LTNs were introduced across London as temporary measures to create more space for walking and cycling, allowing people to travel more safely during the COVID pandemic.

"During the pandemic we have had more resources that are immediately available to respond, and roads (during lockdown periods) have been quieter.

"That being the case, we haven't yet noticed any impact on our attendance times due to the LTN schemes established in 2020; however, we will continue to monitor their impact at a local level.

"The attendance times to boroughs in inner London, where the majority of the LTNs seem to be, still remain quicker than those in outer London."

In 2020, the London-wide average response time for the first fire engine to arrive at an incident was five minutes and one second, almost one minute less than the target response time of six minutes.

LTNs have been the subject of much controversy as councils such as Ealing have been introducing more of them.

Ealing Council removed bollards earlier this year and replaced them with ANPR cameras in order to allow access to emergency vehicles.