Gum is being scrubbed from city centre streets

Streets in several Kent towns are being scrubbed clean of chewing gum - at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.

An operation to clean discarded gum from the centre of Canterbury is costing the city council up to £30,000.

Pavements in parts of Herne Bay and Whitstable are also being tackled, in the first such initiative in the area.

A combination of steam and chemical treatments is being used to scrub the sticky mess from the streets.

We have a simple slogan, it's easy to remember, it's 'bin it, don't gob it' Alex Perkins, leader of Canterbury City Council

Alex Perkins, leader of Canterbury City Council, said on Tuesday that a campaign had been launched in local schools to tackle the problem.

He said: "We have a simple slogan, it's easy to remember, it's 'bin it, don't gob it'.

"There are plenty of bins so put gum in the bin and not on the floor.

"We are also approaching the government to ask if they can do one of two things, either get hold of the manufacturers and get them to make it biodegradable, or introduce a chewing gum tax, maybe one penny on a pack, collected by the Treasury and given to local authorities to make sure the streets are cleaned."