Colchester Council has received a grant for more than £27,000 to deal with "disgraceful" discarded chewing gum on the city's streets.

As part of the £27,461 package, the council will be provided with specialised cleaning equipment to remove gum from pavements and prevent it from being littered again.

Major gum manufacturers, including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, are behind the funding, with investments totalling up to £10million across five years.

Martin Goss, council portfolio holder for waste and neighbourhood services, said: "We are incredibly happy to have received the funding to tackle chewing gum on the streets of Colchester.

"It’s important that we continue to tackle littering and keep the city we live and work in clean.

"Gum littering is a disgrace and there is no excuse for it.

"Not only is it unsightly, but it harms the environment and the wildlife we share our city with.

"So please, put your gum in the nearest bin – it does not belong on the floor."

The council is among 54 across the UK that have successfully applied for funds from the Chewing Gum Task Force, which is now in its third year.

The scheme was established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Estimates indicate that UK councils' annual clean-up costs for chewing gum is about £7million.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, about 77 per cent of England’s streets and 99 per cent of retail sites have gum stains.

Chief exec Allison Ogden-Newton said: "Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets and is both difficult and expensive to clean up, so the support for councils provided by the Chewing Gum Task Force and the gum manufacturers is very welcome.

"However, once the gum has been cleaned up, it is vital to remind the public that when it comes to litter, whether it’s gum or anything else, there is only one place it should be – in the bin – and that is why the behaviour change element of the task force’s work is so important."