Here's something to chew on, a £75 fine for spitting out gum in Bristol
PEOPLE who spit chewing gum onto Bristol's pavements face an on-the-spot fine of £75.
A campaign was launched in the city centre yesterday to urge people to stop discarding the sticky mess on our streets – or run the risk of being out of pocket.
It also warns that an unpaid fine could lead to court action, which could see them having to pay up to £2,500.
It currently costs Bristol City Council £38,000 a year to clean chewing gum off the pavements.
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Council officials have now picked ten hotspots in the city to monitor the success of the four-week campaign. These are Park Street, Broadmead, Queens Road and Baldwin Street.
The council uses a specially-adapted vehicle with a pressurised water jet to clear off each blob of chewing gum.
The labour-intensive service, which clears about 4,400 gobs of gum from the city centre each week, costs £38,000 a year to run – that's about 50p a blob.
Denise James, from the council's Clean and Green campaign, said the worst areas were taxi ranks, bus stops and outside nightclubs.
"There's at least one chewing gum firm which uses an additive to make chewing gum less sticky – but as far as we're concerned, that's not the point – it's still litter and leaves a horrible mess."
Bristol's 130 community police support officers (PCSOs) have been trained to look out for people spitting out gum. They, as well as environmental health officers and police officers, can hand out fixed penalty notices. A parking warden can take a person's details but not actually hand out a ticket.
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Councillor Gary Hopkins said: "As far as we're concerned, we do have a zero tolerance towards this because it's a filthy habit and leaves such a mess on our streets.
"It's not the same as clearing away cigarette butts which can be swept up. Each sticky blob of chewing gum has to be cleaned one by one.
"We are being vigilant but we have to be honest and say it's not easy to catch people in the act of doing it."
The campaign is using posters and handing out free chewing gum wrappers to make it easier for people to discard their unwanted gum.
Bristol is one of 12 cities in the country for this year's annual campaign by the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG). The action group is chaired by Defra and brings together representatives from the chewing gum industry, Keep Britain Tidy, the Local Government Association, the Chartered Institute of Waste Management, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and the Food and Drink Federation.
Nationwide, the clean-up bill for clearing chewing gum from streets is about £150 million a year. Environment Minister Lord Henley said: "This money would be better spent on important services."
Comments
by James, South West
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 8:11PM
“Much of this is spin.Environmental health officers and traffic wardens, or any other council officials, have no power to arrest or detain offenders.
If a gum spitter walks away and declines to give name and address there is nothing they can do unless they try to follow the miscreant to his/her home. The same applies to depositing litter generally.”
by bagpuss, At home
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 3:14PM
“no - Randy - all I was responding to is that I don't want a nanny state as suggested earlier - but I do want people to dispose of their own c**p at the time rather than leave others to sort it out - particularly if it means the Council doing it - as it means my and your council tax is paying for it. I clear up after myself and don't see why others shouldn't do the same.
I don't often comment on issues - but the chewing gum issue and cigarette end one mentioned the other day - along with all the rubbish that gets strewn around the place is so solvable - it just takes a small amont of individual effort and taking responsibility.
Rant over now.”
by Randy, Bristol
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 2:22PM
“really Bagpuss? so if someone came to your house, tipped a load of rubbish there or pooped on your garden you'd be ok with that . . as long as they came back later to tidy things up?”
by gummer, middlebristol
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 1:17PM
“punching a gum enforcer in the head will probably only cost a thirty quid fine ... slapping down any politician ... priceless”
by Bagpuss, At work
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 1:01PM
“Miss McPhee - I am happy for people to do whatever they like - as long as they clear up after themselves.”
by Bagpuss, At work
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 1:00PM
“Miss McPhee - I am happy for people to do whatever they like - as long as they clear up after themselves.”
by Miss McPhee, Bristol
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 12:47PM
“Cant smoke, cant drop litter, cant chew gum!!! Can we still break wind?? Im sure that will be next on the cant do list”
by Miss McPhee, Bristol
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 12:46PM
“Cant smoke, cant drop litter, cant chew gum!!! Can we still fart?? Im sure that will be next on the cant do list”
by Martin, Clifton
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 12:25PM
“Just what we need, a bunch of jumped up nobodies like parking wardens trying to take peoples names. Next it will be club/pub bouncers, and the scary thing is that the laws are already in place for them.”
by Villages R us, Bristol
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 12:23PM
“Here's the main village idiot...
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/bullet-right-head/article-2229161-detail/article.html
He almost got shot in the head by a cyclist, and now hates ALL cyclists..
Let's all laugh at Roger from Knowle.. He's been writing letters to this NEWSPAPER for 30 years such is his lonely existence.. That cyclist could've put him out of his miserable existence...”