IT’S war on the streets of Huddersfield!
A new chewing gum campaign was launched yesterday by Kirklees Council.
And they have warned gum-chewers: Spit it on the streets and we’ll fine you.
Town centre visitors were invited to join the campaign by having their mugshot taken in a cordoned off 'grime scene'.
Environmental Services staff wore coveralls as worn by forensic scientists and talked to shoppers about responsible gum disposal.
They handed out gum pouches to use for old gum and handed balloons and stickers to get the message across to children.
But the main emphasis will be using the council’s four enforcement officers patrolling the streets looking for gum litter louts.
They have the power to hand out £75 on the spot fines to people spitting their gum on the streets and roads.
Environmental Services has been successful in bidding for funding from the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG), which will fund advertising campaigns such as on bus and billboard adverts.
It will be an intensive four-week campaign and during this period enforcement activities will focus on gum litter louts who will be issued with a £75 fixed penalty notice for throwing gum away indiscriminately.
There are more than 550 litter bins in Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres as well as 40 GumTargets in Huddersfield town centre to encourage gum chewers to dispose of their gum sensibly and responsibly.
The GumTarget boards collect an estimated 10,000 pieces of gum every month.
Clr Martyn Bolt, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet member for the environment, said: “Just over half of the UK population chew gum and it is one of the fastest growing sectors of the confectionery industry.
“Currently one of the main reasons for chewing gum is to help stop smoking and with the onset of the smoking ban, gum litter may well increase. As well as looking unsightly, gum also sticks to shoes and clothes and is expensive to remove.
“It costs local authorities £150,000 each year to remove gum from pavements using specialist cleaning equipment and this then leaves a stain.
“By providing GumTargets and litter bins we hope to encourage sensible disposal of gum, but the condition of the town centre streets show that this does not always happen.
“Gum is litter and anyone caught throwing litter on the street will be fined £75.
“We will be carrying out extra enforcement activities in Kirklees, but specifically Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centre during the four-week campaign period.”
Rachel Beachill, of Kirklees’ environmental services, said: “It is very difficult to clean up the streets when contaminated with gum and the officers will be spending more time focussed on those who chew gum and do not dispose of it properly”..
