Smelly petrol fumes from fuel stations, which escape when drivers fill up their tanks, are not only an irritant to inhabitants of neighbouring properties but also pollute the wider environment.

The fumes, when combined with nitrous oxide, form a key ingredient of summer smog in cities in calm sunny weather.

However this could be a thing of the past, consultation documents published by the minister for Local Environment Quality, Ben Bradshaw show. The proposal is for the fumes to be collected in petrol stations and re-cycled as fuel.

Defra is seeking views on whether large service stations in the UK should fit equipment - known as Petrol Vapour Recovery stage II controls - to control the fumes.

The measures being proposed will help capture 16,000 tonnes of volatile organic compounds a year from 2010 - over half of the current emissions from petrol stations.

Ben Bradshaw said that the measures would help to improve the quality of the air by limiting the chemical fumes can lead to smog, health problems and damage to trees, vegetation and crops.

"Petrol fumes from service stations contribute to air pollution and lead to smog in warm weather.

"Fitting the new equipment that can capture these fumes will help to cut risks to public health and the environment," he said.

However, householders and businesses in rural areas are unlikely to benefit from any regulations that might follow the proposals as it is intended to limit the measure to larger service stations in order to protect the viability of small stations which are often located in rural areas.

"These rural service stations provide additional services to rural communities, such as shops and Post Offices," said the minister.