OXFORDSHIRE motorists are the worst offenders in the country when it comes to environmentally unfriendly new cars.

The European Commission’s Green Road Map of Britain, released today, shows the county’s new-car sales pumped out more carbon dioxide (CO2) per car than anywhere else in the UK.

The report showed average emissions from new cars dropped by five per cent last year – the biggest annual fall ever recorded – but while the average new car bought in Britain emits 145.2 grammes of CO2 per kilometre, that amount rises to 168g/km in Oxfordshire.

Cornwall is the greenest county with a mean figure of 138g/km.

The city councillor responsible for a greener Oxford John Tanner said: “Buy a smaller car, buy a Mini, buy a Toyota Prius, and drive it less often.”

There are 35 million vehicles on British roads, contributing 22 per cent of the country’s CO2 emissions, and 2.2 million new cars are sold each year.

A survey by Bosch, also released today, showed 85 per cent of drivers want to help the environment but just six per cent cite a car’s green credentials as a factor when buying a car.

The EU has set a target for the UK to have new cars emitting below 130 grammes of CO2 per kilometre by 2015.