BUNTINGFORD town centre will be part of a campaign to combat chewing gum staining pavements. East Herts District Council which is one of 20 councils in the country showing support for a campaign against the discarding of chewing gum has already pilote

BUNTINGFORD town centre will be part of a campaign to combat chewing gum staining pavements. East Herts District Council - which is one of 20 councils in the country showing support for a campaign against the discarding of chewing gum - has already piloted the scheme elsewhere A district council spokesman said: "Chewing gum staining is not regarded as a massive problem in Buntingford, but we are just trying to keep its streets cleaner." To tackle the blight of chewing gum staining the council was part of a full-page advertisement in The Guardian on Monday with other local authorities asking for financial help for the clean-up bill from manufacturers. Cllr Malcolm Alexander, executive member with responsibility for environmental management, said: "The advert, which has received national radio and TV coverage, states that it costs three pence to buy a stick of gum, but 10 pence to clean it up. "This is a costly exercise and we need to do more both locally and nationally to discourage people from dropping gum, and persuade confectionary manufacturers to produce products which are easier to remove." Over the next year, East Herts will also be purchasing new equipment, which will allow street washing to be more cost-effective. In addition, it will be developing campaigns in partnership with other local authorities to raise awareness among residents and particularly young people to discourage anti-social behaviour. For more details visit www.stickyissue.co.uk