Council cracks down on chewing gum

Fri, 18 May 2012

Douglas Council is to keep a close eye on the amount of chewing gum being dropped in the town centre.

From next week, a 40 metre stretch of Duke Street will undergo a deep clean, and the amount of gum stains will be measured over 28 days.

The data will be shared with the UK Chewing Gum Action Group.

The Council says stains are already beginning to form on the new paving in Nelson Street and Wellington Street.

The board describes dropping chewing gum as a deeply anti-social offence, and one of the most difficult types of litter to deal with.

A recent study shows Douglas has less litter than the average town centre in the UK, but higher levels of discarded gum.

Anyone caught dropping chewing gum in a public pace could be hit with a £50 fine.