Council bids to rid streets of chewing gum

Bradford's streets are set for a deep clean

Bradford Council is to spend £26,000 on clearing chewing gum from the city's streets.

The clean-up operation is being funded by a grant from the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

It began with a deep clean of Broadway and Kirkgate, two of Bradford's busiest streets, and will continue throughout September.

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: "Gum litter continues to be one of the most stubborn and unsightly forms of pollution on our high streets. But this campaign shows that with a mix of cleaning, signage and public engagement, we can make a real difference."

According to Keep Britain Tidy, gum removal costs councils across about £7m a year, and 99% of retail sites in England are affected by gum staining.

Following the deep clean, an awareness campaign will launch with signage to encourage people to dispose of gum responsibly.

The council has shared examples of signage that will be displayed in the city

Bradford is one of 52 councils across the country to receive funding this year through the Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme.

The initiative, backed by Defra and major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, aims to tackle long-term littering by combining deep cleans with behaviour change strategies.

Other towns and cities using this approach have reported an up to 80% reduction in just a few months.

Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for healthy people and places, said: "Pieces of chewing gum welded to pavements has sadly become a familiar sight for many of us.

"Worse still, is gum getting stuck to shoes after someone carelessly discarded it.

"We hope that, with this deep clean and campaign, we can get people to think before they drop their gum."

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