A new estimate for the vertex number of an edge-regular graph

Given a connected edge-regular graph Γ with parameters (v, k, λ) and b ₁ = k ? λ ? 1, we prove that in the case k ≥ 3b ₁ ?2 either |Γ₂(u)|(k?2b ₁ + 2) < kb ₁ for every vertex u or Γ is a polygon, the edge graph of a trivalent graph without triangles that has diameter greater than 2, the icosahedral graph, the complete multipartite graph K _r×2, the 3 × 3-grid, the triangular graph T(m) with m ≤ 7, the Clebsch graph, or the Schläfli graph.