Stoke-on-Trent City Council have been awarded funding from Chewing Gum Task Force to clean up gum and reduce gum littering.

The council is putting plans in place to remove chewing gum off local streets after receiving a £25,000 grant to tackle the sticky issue.

Councillor Amjid Wazir, cabinet member for environment and enforcement said: "This is another example of continuous work we are doing to tackle the accumulation of rubbish that builds all over our city.

"We want people to be proud of where they live and to take pride when they visit our towns and attractions.

"This funding will help to provide cleaner streets and aims to drive behaviour change to stop long-term littering."

According to Keep Britain Tidy, 77% of England's streets are littered with chewing gum (Nub News).

Estimates suggest the annual clean-up cost of chewing gum for councils in the UK is around £7 million and, according to Keep Britain Tidy, around 77% of England's streets and 99% of retail sites are stained with gum.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive, said: "Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets and is both difficult and expensive to clean up, so the support for councils provided by the Chewing Gum Task Force and the gum manufacturers is very welcome.

"However, once the gum has been cleaned up, it is vital to remind the public that when it comes to litter, whether it's gum or anything else, there is only one place it should be – in the bin – and that is why the behaviour change element of the task force's work is so important."

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