News-Chewing gum busters hit city centre's streets

Cllr John Shuttleworth with one of the new signs encouraging people to bin their gum and (right) night time chewing gum removal work underway in Durham City.

The work is taking place over the next month, with cleansing teams hitting the streets from 8pm to 4am to get the job done with minimal disruption to the public.

The blitz is funded by a £27,418 grant that we have secured from the Chewing Gum Task Force, which is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

It has started on Claypath and will move on to Silver Street and Framwellgate Bridge before finishing on North Road.

Chewing gum removal 'notoriously expensive'

Cllr John Shuttleworth, our Cabinet member for highways, rural communities and community safety, said: "We're all familiar with the sight of chewing gum staining the streets - it's a real eyesore and removing it is notoriously expensive and time-consuming.

"That's why we were delighted to secure this funding to rid these Durham City streets of this unsightly problem.

"Of course, it's entirely avoidable and wouldn't be necessary at all if people simply disposed of their chewing gum in a bin.

"As part of the funding agreement, we'll also be putting up signs reminding people to bin their gum and help us keep Durham tidy."

Similar schemes have had lasting effects

Research has shown that similar schemes in other parts of the country have had lasting effects, with a reduced rate of gum littering still being observed six months after clean-up.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive, said: "Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets, 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.

"That is why the behaviour change element of the task force's work is so important."

Gum clean-up is a costly exercise for UK councils

Keep Britain Tidy estimates that cleaning up chewing gum costs UK councils around £7million a year, and around 77 per cent of England's streets are stained with gum.

The Chewing Gum Task Force is funded by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle.