Sticky end for gum litter?

Oldham launched a campaign against dropping chewing gum yesterday with Chaddy the Owl, Councillor Shoab Akhtar and members of the Rainy City roller derby team.

CHADDY hates chuddy — that’s the message from the Latics mascot and Oldham’s Roller Derby team as they skated into action.

Oldham Council joined forces with Chaddy the Owl and Rainy City Roller Girls to urge residents to show pride in their town and bin their chewing gum.

The council is pledging to reduce the amount of litter created by chewers who throw gum litter on the floor, rather than putting it in the bin, as part of a national campaign. A launch event yesterday in Oldham town centre saw Chaddy and several members of Oldham’s Rainy City Roller Girls — who hate getting chewing gum stuck to their wheels — kick-off the initiative.

A series of roadshows are taking place across the borough with Oldham Council’s Street Scene operatives and volunteer Litter Watchers.

It’s the third year it has been run as part of a nationwide Chewing Gum Action Group.

As a result of previous campaigns and the community working together to clean up the streets, gum-staining in Oldham has been reduced by 75 per cent in the past three years.

The council has even managed to save money in the process and invested £5,000 in a specialist machine to remove the sticky nuisance.

Before buying the machine, external contractors were costing Oldham around £25,000 a year.

Councillor Jean Stretton, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “Oldham Council, working closely with young people, has made great progress in recent years.

“We’re trying to encourage people to ‘Love Where You Live’ and those who are too lazy to put their litter in the bin should know there are consequences. It is council policy to issue on the spot fines of £75 for littering.”