Gum tax to pay for street cleaners

The proposal is aimed at tackling the huge cleaning costs incurred by London councils. Retailers would have to pay local authorities a set amount for every pack of gum they sold, a cost that could be passed on to the public.

The money would be ring-fenced for use specifically to remove chewing gum from the streets.

A single piece of gum costs 3p to manufacture but 10p to remove and the overall cleaning bill for boroughs across London is estimated at £2.3 million a year. Lib-Dem MP Bob Russell tabled a Commons motion this year calling for every packet to be taxed by up to 25p and Brent council began fining people £80 if they were caught spitting out chewing gum in the street and refused to clean it up.

The latest proposal is being considered by London Councils, which represents the capital's local authorities.

It states: "The deposits on the pavement are unsightly and blight the local amenity. Pavements and walkways are increasingly covered by the deposits and new walkways, such as the Golden Jubilee bridges over the River Thames, have begun to be affected."

A London Councils spokesman said boroughs wanted clean streets but did not want council taxpayers to foot the rising bill for the cost of removing gum.

"A levy may be one way of doing this but we are keen to work with the Government, the public and the industry to develop a solution," he added.

The idea received a mixed reaction from chewing gum buyers.

Tanja Eskildsen, 23, a student from Finsbury Park, said: "I buy gum and I make sure I throw it away but I wouldn't mind paying a little bit more if it meant the streets were clean."

Michaela Avei, 19, a student from Kensington, said: "I swallow it rather than chuck it on the ground and I don't see why I should pay for other people's mess. It would make me angry if the price went up significantly because of this." Giagano Bovino, 21, a student from Knightsbridge, said: "If we charge more so we fund the clean-up we only encourage people to throw it on the ground."

Wrigley's, the largest chewing gum manufacturer in Britain, has said previously: "Gum litter is caused by the irresponsible behaviour of a minority of chewers. We believe an integrated approach, encompassing education and the greater enforcement of fines, is required."

London Councils is also considering whether local authorities should charge people for using public lavatories to pay for their upkeep.