A team of UK scientists have made a breakthrough which has brought the widespread use of low-emission hydrogen as an alternative fuel to power cars a step further.

The team of researchers from the Universities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Liverpool claim to have found a safe way of storing and releasing hydrogen, a notoriously volatile element, according to results published in the academic journal, Science.

Storage of the eco-friendly hydrogen is achieved through the use of nanoporous materials which have tiny pores roughly one hundred-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper.

Research and development into hydrogen as an alternative fuel to polluting petrol is on the increase as governments and organisations across the globe begin seriously to tackle the threat of climate change.

Within the automotive industry a number of major players have already turned their attention to the commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cell technology as concerns mount over the dwindling availability and accessibility of fossil fuels.