NEW funding has been awarded to get rid of chewing gum in Colchester city centre.

A £21,856 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has been granted for a new machine to clean up gum and reduce gum littering.

The money will be used to purchase an electric street vacuum which can remove chewing gum from pavements without damaging them.

Last year, Colchester Council was awarded £20,000 for a new cleaning vehicle to target hot spots outside Colchester Sixth Form College in North Hill and areas around the High Street.

Martin Goss, the council's portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and waste, said: “Our neighbourhood teams work incredibly hard and devote considerable resources to tackling the blight of discarded gum.

“We are delighted to have once again been successful in our bid to Keep Britain Tidy and will use the award to purchase and maintain another dedicated vehicle to clean streets and pavements in and around the city centre.

“Gum litter is a disgrace and there really is no need for anyone to be littering now that we also have special Gumdrop bins around the town centre.

“I would again like to thank Keep Britain Tidy for its support and partnership approach to reducing the impact of carelessly discarded gum.

“We can, and should, all work together to take pride in our city and continue to challenge and educate anyone who drops gum – or any other kind of litter for that matter.”

Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, 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.”