Goody, Goody, No Gum Drops

4:19pm Tuesday 2nd September 2008

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Wigan Council’s green team is descending on Leigh town centre as part of a nation-wide £415m campaign to rid the streets of chewing gum.

Surveys carried out with visitors and locals show that gum and staining was the single biggest environmental issue affecting the borough's town centres.

The council’s environmental education team is running an anti-chewing gum awareness campaign throughout September to highlight the cost and problem that chewing gum litter creates .

To tackle the problem, the council successfully bid for national funding through the DEFRA-chaired Chewing Gum Action Group.

Ahead of next Monday’s campaign launch, Mayor of Wigan, Cllr Rona Winkworth, said: “Chewing gum on the pavement makes the place look unkempt.

"There’s been publicity before, but this time there will be no escape from the message that we are sick and tired of cleaning up after litter bugs and their gum!”

Wigan Council’s Nick Burdekin adds: “There will be a very visible message to gum users: ‘Guilty! Not charged. Bin your gum. Avoid a fine of up to £80.’ And we will be working in schools and communities to reduce the problem.”

The team will be running a competition in schools to create an anti-chewing gum character, and he adds that once everyone is in no doubt about the message, October promises to be the toughest month for enforcement yet.

At the launch event in Leigh, the team will be giving out free Wrap-it pouches to members of the public, which are a way of encouraging people to wrap their gum up and putting them in the bin. There will also be music and face painting and, to keep up the sticky theme, a Velcro Wall will be on site for people to jump and stick to.

• Launch of Wigan Council’s anti-chewing gum campaign: Leigh Civic Square, Monday, 11am.