Sand from the Sahara Desert in London?

POLLUTION plagued London last week and citizens were encouraged to stay inside.

Schools were warned to keep millions of children indoors because of a lethal Sahara sand cloud and toxic air hitting Britain.

Sand from the Sahara desert in North Africa rained down on Britain last week leaving a layer of dust - called “blood rain” on cars, greenhouses and skylights.

The dust is taken up into the air when winds in the Sahara sweep up the desert sand several times a year.

Amazingly the sand particles stay in the clouds and are blown northwards to Britain on the wind.

When it rains the particles are dropped.

The dust is important because without it the Atlantic Ocean would not get fertilised, fish would not be able to live in it and the Brazilian rainforest would run out of nutrients.