Restaurant pollution is a health hazard

Last week a citizen complained in a letter (May 8) about the frustration she felt at the inertia, indeed indifference, of the authorities in dealing with the nuisance of pollution by tar-like particles, apparently emanating from a restaurant beneath her residence. Clearly she is entitled to redress and the abatement of the nuisance.

However, an even more serious aspect to the affair is that there is increasing evidence that such pollution, generated by burning meat and fats, is carcinogenic (causes cancer in susceptible people).

Given that the internal surface area of the human lung is roughly that of a tennis court, any airborne pollution of this nature is a serious threat.

Mepa, the Health and Safety Authority, and other "paper tigers" appointed by the state to guard the rights and well-being of our citizens should wake up before some enterprising lawyer sues them in the European Court of Justice, which might have different opinions on "Crown" immunity.

Surely planning permission for class six establishments burning fats and meat, in juxtaposition to residential units, is bad planning by any criteria.