Don't spit it out - theme of streets clean-up plan

A month-long campaign encouraging people to stop dropping chewing gum and wrapping paper is being launched by Middlesbrough Council on Monday.

The council has been chosen by the Chewing Gum Action Group, which is chaired by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to run the campaign.

It will involve cleaning and monitoring town centre sites where there is a problem, high-profile advertising and distributing gum wraps so that people can get rid of their gum without causing a nuisance.

Councillor Pervaz Khan, the council's executive member for Streetscene services, said: "Discarded gum is unsightly, unhygienic and a real nuisance - as anyone who has spent time cleaning it off their shoes can tell you.

"We've got to change people's attitudes and get them into the habit of disposing of gum responsibly. I hope that people will really listen to what we are saying, have a look at the streets and think how they can help us make them cleaner.

"Gum and wrapping paper are litter and if our enforcement officers see anyone dropping them they face an £80 fixed penalty. Just last week, someone who had been given a penalty had to go to court for non-payment and it ended up costing them £110 in fines and costs. That is an awful lot of expense for a three pence stick of gum.

"We will prosecute offenders, but we would much rather people worked with us and took a pride in their town and showed consideration to their fellow residents."

The advertising campaign, which has been funded by the Chewing Gum Action Group, will run from Monday for four weeks and focus on the town centre, where posters will be on display in telephone boxes, bus shelters and on local buses.

Gum wraps made from recycled paper will be available free from shops, pubs, clubs and council leisure facilities across the town.

Streetscene staff will be monitoring the amount of chewing gum deposited before, during and after the advertising campaign, to gauge its success.