Bury has received support to tackle the sticky problem of cleaning up chewing gum on the streets. 

Part of a £27,500 grant provided to Bury Council by the Chewing Gum Task Force will go towards the purchase of an "eco gum truck" to remove the unsightly waste.

The remainder will fund deep cleans of several town centre areas.

Starting this week, clean ups in Tottington and Whitefield will take place, with operations extending to Prestwich and Bury next month.

Cllr Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change, and operations, said: "Spitting chewing gum onto the pavement is a disgusting habit, and it’s everywhere.

"Why not put it in a bin?

"Thanks to this grant, we’ll be using our new truck to clean up some of the mess that blights our borough."

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, which administers the task force, said: "Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets and is both difficult and expensive to clean up, 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 – and that is why the behaviour change element of the task force’s work is so important."

Bury is one of 54 councils to have successfully applied for funding from the Chewing Gum Task Force.

The scheme, now in its third year, funds the cleaning of gum off pavements and works to prevent repeat littering.

Established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the scheme is sponsored by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, with an investment of up to £10 million spread over five years.

Behaviour Change, a not-for-profit social enterprise, has observed a reduced rate of gum littering six months on in areas that have been cleaned up and fitted with prevention materials.

The annual cost of cleaning up chewing gum litter for UK councils is estimated at £7m.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, around 77 per cent of England’s streets and 99 per cent of retail sites are stained with gum.

In the second year of the gum-cleaning scheme, £1.56m was awarded to 55 councils, to clean an estimated 440,000 sq/m of pavement - an area equivalent to that of the Vatican City.