Watford's mayor has called on the government to prevent Herts businesses being punished by the ULEZ expansion.

It comes after the High Court ruled that London Mayor Sadiq Khan does not need to offer ULEZ scrappage support to home counties drivers.

As part of a £110million scheme, some drivers in Greater London and the City can scrap their cars or vans in exchange for a payment – up to £2,000 for cars and £9,500 for vans.

But council leaders in Hertfordshire have said sole traders, microbusiness owners and drivers on benefits in their areas will need help if ULEZ expands to county borders.

“The Mayor of London says it’s the government’s job,” Peter Taylor, the directly elected Mayor of Watford said.

“The government would say it’s for the Mayor of London.

“The government has to respond to this ruling because businesses throughout Watford and Hertfordshire are going to be penalised.

“There’s a sort-of natural justice that needs to happen.”

The ULEZ – or ultra low emission zone – is already in place between the A406 North Circular and A205 South Circular roads.

Drivers of some of the most polluting vehicles are charged £12.50 per day for entering the zone.

The arrangement is due to expand on August 29, to include most of outer London.

Four London councils – Harrow, Hillingdon, Bexley and Bromley – and Surrey County Council challenged this plan in the High Court.

Mr Justice Jonathan Swift threw out the five authorities’ appeal, ruling ULEZ expansion can go ahead.

“I’m not surprised by that,” Peter Taylor said. “Not expanding the scrappage scheme is unfortunate to residents across the border.

“Times are tough at the moment and you will have a lot of people who need to travel into London from Watford by car.”

Watford's Tory MP, Dean Russell, said: "I have opposed the ULEZ expansion from the outset, and have met with government ministers, penned a joint letter to the Labour Mayor of London with colleagues, and spoken out about it in Parliament on a number of occasions.

"My inbox is always full of emails from people who don’t want to see the expansion, and I talk to people on a daily basis who are very concerned about the cost implications for them.

"Nobody in Watford gets the chance to vote for the Mayor of London, yet many will be profoundly affected by, what is essentially a deeply unfair tax, on their vehicles."

He said it was "disappointing" to see the rejection of the legal challenge, as the scheme is "effectively a tax of £12.50 on hardworking people who may not be able to afford to change their vehicles to meet ULEZ requirements".

Matt Turmaine, a local councillor and Labour's parliamentary candidate, said: “The government has totally failed to put the right measures in place, such as supporting a proper scrappage scheme to help people change their cars and vans.

“Labour’s priority, and my priority, is growing the economy here in Watford, to improve living standards and tackle the cost-of-living crisis, not pushing up costs for hard working families.

“While the Conservatives are busy playing political games, families continue to be walloped by the Tory mortgage bombshell."