Chewing gum to be removed from streets in Devon

Two councils have been given £18,754 to remove chewing gum from the streets

A grant to clean up chewing gum and prevent it from being dropped has been awarded to two councils in Devon.

South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council have been given £18,754 by the Chewing Gum Task Force to remove chewing gum that "blights local streets".

The councils are among 54 across the UK to have successfully applied for the grants, established by Defra to invest in "long-term behaviour change" with chewing gum littering.

Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, South Hams Executive Member for Waste, said she hoped the grant would help deter people from littering.

She said: "Many towns and cities are affected by people dropping chewing gum and we hope that the street cleaning this grant covers will act as a reminder to people that our streets look much nicer without litter like chewing gum."

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said gum was "difficult and expensive to clean up".

She said: "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."