Celebrities used as gum targets

The GumTarget boards will go up in Ealing High Street

Londoners are being urged to stick their chewing gum on celebrity posters rather than dropping it on the streets.

Ealing Council hopes posters featuring Shane Richie, Jordan and Peter Andre among others will prove a more tempting target in Acton, west London.

Gum stuck to pavements, seats and tables is difficult and expensive to shift, says the council.

Posters have removable sheets which will be changed six days a week to stop the gum building up.

The year-long campaign follows trials in Luton and Bournemouth which have reported "tangible results".

The council says a clean-up in Hanwell, Ealing, cost £9,000 last year.

It is estimated that UK local authorities spend £150m a year tackling the problem.