A major clean-up is underway in Elmbridge, Mole Valley and Surrey Heath as Joint Waste Solutions (JWS) has been awarded more than £26,000 to tackle one of Britain’s stickiest street problems: chewing gum.

The grant, part of the Chewing Gum Task Force programme administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, will help remove gum from pavements and prevent future littering through targeted signage and behavioural campaigns.

JWS is one of more than 50 organisations across the country to benefit from the scheme, which is now in its fourth year. Funded by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, the initiative provides up to £10 million over five years to support councils cleaning up high streets and shifting public habits.

In previous years, the programme has helped reduce gum littering by as much as 80 per cent in the first two months following a deep clean and the introduction of signage.

Councillor Ashley Tilling, Chair of the Joint Waste Collection Services Committee, welcomed the news. He said: “I am pleased that this year’s grant funding will be used to give Cobham High Street a thorough deep-clean, restoring its attractiveness for residents and local businesses and providing a boost for the Keep Elmbridge Tidy campaign.”

Last year, the funding supported cleaning projects in Claygate and Molesey, with visible improvements to the appearance of pavements and an enhanced experience for shoppers and visitors.

Estimates suggest gum clean-up costs UK councils around £7 million annually. According to Keep Britain Tidy, 77 per cent of England’s streets and nearly all retail sites are stained with gum.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Chewing gum continues to be an unsightly form of litter in our public spaces. While behaviour is starting to change, there’s still a long way to go.”

Work in Cobham is due to begin in the coming weeks.