Sales of cheap bags of logs that have not been fully dried will be banned under government plans to tackle air pollution.
People with wood-burning stoves and open fires will have to pay more for authorised, ready-to-burn wood, which has been dried for two years, or buy very large loads of “wet wood”.
Michael Gove, the environment secretary, is targeting the wood sold in netting bags by DIY stores, garden centres and petrol stations as most of this is “wet”, from trees recently felled and which has not had time to dry.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said this wood was generally bought by occasional stove users, who may not realise the damage the smoke can cause.
The burning of wood…