A NEW gum-busting campaign to reduce litter in the town centre has been launched by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

In a bid to encourage residents to “bin it your way”, the borough council has teamed up with the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG), an organisation chaired by the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and funded by the chewing gum industry, to tackle gum litter in the UK.

The campaign, now in its ninth year, sees the industry working with councils and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to develop local initiatives to reduce chewing gum litter.

Results from previous years demonstrate the significant impact of the campaign on gum litter levels. In 2013 the campaign led to an average fall in gum litter of 47 per cent in participating areas, with some authorities reporting even higher results.

This year’s advertising campaign features professionally choreographed dance moves, encouraging gum chewers to dispose responsibly of gum litter in a fun and engaging way or face a fine of £75.

The dynamic, brightly coloured adverts will appear in a range of locations across the local area, including roadside banners, bus stops, lamp-posts and telephone kiosks.

Councillor Terri Reid, borough Cabinet member for housing and regeneration, who is leading Basingstoke’s Town Centre Programme, said: “Chewing gum litter is a real nuisance that is costly and difficult to remove.

“We want the residents of Basingstoke to be proud of where they live which is why we have partnered with the CGAG to raise awareness and proactively tackle this problem.

“The campaign follows the start of a crackdown on town centre litter louts so we hope it will encourage people to think before they dispose of rubbish including their gum and help them to understand that they can play a part in making Basingstoke a clean and inviting place to live.”

CGAG campaign co-ordinator Kristian Bentham added: “Year on year, we have seen the chewing gum action campaign deliver some great results.

“We are delighted to be working with Basingstoke this year to help them create cleaner, more attractive places to live and work.”

For more information on the CGAG campaign, and the new tougher approach to littering, visit basingstoke.gov. uk/go/nolitter.