War declared on a sticky problem

Tests to find the best ways of removing gum are being carried out

Hull is declaring war on chewing gum which has been discarded on streets in the city centre.

Special chewing gum removal teams are testing different ways of shifting the substance from the pavements.

These mostly involve high pressure steam cleaning equipment supplied by various manufacturers.

Once the tests are completed, a plan will be drawn to deal with the sticky problem. Meanwhile gum users are being urged to put it in litter bins.

The removal teams are doing most of the equipment testing in the middle of the night to avoid disruption to business and city centre users.

The city councillor in charge of waste management, Daren Hale, said their aim was to make Hull's streets "brighter and more welcoming".