Labour Party campaigners wanting better air quality in Calne town centre resurrected 18th century scientist Joseph Priestley on Wednesday to call for Wiltshire Council and Calne Town Council to fund a traffic survey.

Dressing as Joseph Priestley, Calne’s discoverer of Oxygen, Tom Morris, Secretary of Calne Labour said: “Joseph Priestley discovered Oxygen in Calne but we’ve not got enough of it to go round! Children are at terrible risk of developing breathing problems just by walking to school, and the time it takes to get through the give-and-take section of road in the middle of Calne is appalling. It is time for Wiltshire Council and Calne Town Council to organise the funding for a traffic assessment and sort this out!”

But Wiltshire and Calne Councillor Alan Hill said: “I think they are misinformed. I don’t want people to be caused distress and anxiety.”

He added: “For a number of years Calne Town Council has been working closely with Calne Area Board, part of Wiltshire Council, and addressing this issue, and levels of nitrogen dioxide are coming down.”

The campaigners have launched their petition on Change.org, which can be found by searching for “Fix the jam in Calne.”