A 'CityTree' has been put in place in Musselburgh - to soak up pollutants in the atmosphere.

Air pollution in the centre of the Honest Toun has long been a cause for concern.

Now, a giant sponge of mosses has been put in place on High Street, outside the police station, in the hope of cutting nearby pollution by close to a third.

CityTree has been developed by German green technology firm Green City Solutions who say the combination of mosses in the structure can filter air pollutants - including nitrogen dioxide - from the surrounding air by up to 30 per cent.

Derek Oliver of East Lothian Council described the structure as a "innovative approach" to tackling air quality issues.

He added: "It is anticipated to raise awareness and influence behavioural change around pollution and climate change. We will seek public opinion following the pilot period.”

The East Lothian CityTree has been funded by the Scottish Government through the East Central Scotland Vehicle Emissions Partnership and has been installed in the designated Air Quality Management Area of Musselburgh High Street for an initial four-month pilot period.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, cabinet member for environment, added: “It is particularly appropriate that we are installing this CityTree at the start of Climate Week Scotland 2018 and it will be interesting to see what impact it will have on air pollution in Musselburgh High Street.

"A number of measures have been outlined in the Musselburgh Air Quality Action Plan to tackle poor air quality including introducing new technology, aiming to reduce vehicle emissions, and encouraging sustainable travel options.

"Whether as an individual, business or school, we can all play a part in taking action to improve our environment and I hope the CityTree will act as a focus for future ideas.”

The installation powers itself via solar panels, and rainwater is collected and automatically redistributed using a built-in irrigation system. This provides ideal conditions for the mosses to grow in an urban environment.

East Lothian is the second local authority in Scotland to have a CityTree, following Glasgow City Council.

CityTree technology has also been installed in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Oslo, London and Newcastle.