Westminster Council may have to pay �9m to clean-up gum

Under new government proposals, gum could be classified as litter - forcing councils to remove it every day.

MPs are due to meet later on Thursday to discuss the plans contained in a government bill.

Westminster councillor Alan Bradley said the authority was already losing the battle against gum and said it was like "painting the Forth Bridge."

Obliterating gum from the streets is like painting the Forth Bridge, a never ending effort. Cllr Alan Bradley

At the moment councils are allowed to decide for themselves how often they clean gum.

Mr Bradley said Westminster had experimented over a period of 10 years with a wide range of clean-up techniques and concluded it was losing the battle.

In 2001, Westminster council spent �60,000 on blitzing the gum on Oxford Street, but it was covered again within weeks.

Mr Bradley called for a "sustained commitment of funds towards a nationwide campaign and clean-up".

He also said gum manufacturer Wrigley should tackle the environmental impact of their product by promoting responsible behaviour by consumers.