British motorists in France could face a £119 fine for failing to display the right environmental sticker

The most polluting cars have been banned from the streets of the capital

France's environment minister said all petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2040 (Getty)

Motorists driving to France this summer could face a fine of up to €135 (£119) if they fail to display a sticker on their windscreen showing how much pollution it emits.

Those driving traditional fuel cars registered before 1997 or diesel cars registered before 2001 will be completely banned from the streets of Paris from 8am to 8pm on weekdays.

A Crit’Air scheme introduced in January makes it compulsory for private vehicles driving in Paris, Lyon or Grenoble to display the sticker.

These range from a green badge for fully electric cars to a grey one for diesel cars registered between 1997 and 2000.

The peripherique highway circling Paris is excluded from the legislation, meaning motorists using it to drive to the south of France or Alpine ski resorts will not have to display the stickers.

The cost of ordering one is €4.80 (£4.24) for drivers of foreign-registered vehicles and it can take up to a month to arrive.

Over 6.5 million have been ordered in France so far, after a law passed in 2015 gave French councils statutory powers to regulate vehicle circulation depending on how green a vehicle is.

Similar powers have existed in Germany since 2008, which has 53 restricted circulation zones.

Research by the French environment ministry indicates that pollution causes 48,000 premature deaths a year in the country.

Paris has become known for its stringent anti-pollution legislation on cars under Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo, who says she operates an “anti-car” policy. French environment minister Nicolas Hulot has announced sales of petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned in France by 2040.

Strasbourg, Lille and Bordeaux are due to join the sticker scheme from September onwards.