A taskforce to clear Ipswich streets of chewing gum and other rubbish has secured £21,214 in funding to keep the town clean.
The money from the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy will fund Maxwind Sweeper, a new specialist electric vehicle to deep clean the town’s shopping areas.
The funding will also support dedicated prevention measures, encourage the use of bins to dispose of gum responsibly, enable events with DiGBY at nearby schools and other public events in the town and offer gum pouches to encourage responsible disposal.
On average, Ipswich Borough Council spends about £70,000 every year keeping the pavements clean, the authority said.
The council is one of 56 areas across the country to have successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force and to fund measures that remove gum from streets.
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 gum manufacturers is very welcome."
Littering is a criminal offence, carrying an on-the-spot penalty with fines of up to £2,500.
Officers routinely patrol Ipswich town centre and can issue an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice to offenders if they catch someone dropping litter.
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