A number of north and east London councils have been awarded money by the government towards removing chewing gum from high streets.

Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Redbridge are among the first wave of authorities to receive cash from the Chewing Gum Task Force this summer.

Brent, Camden, Haringey and Islington are also winners of grants of up to £70,000.

The task force has been set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and is being run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

More than 50 councils have been awarded money in total, with it to be spent on the likes of cleaning equipment, signage warning people not to litter gum and council partnerships on the issue, such as Camden and Brent.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “This is an exciting new opportunity for councils to tackle the ongoing problem of gum pollution.

“The grants will allow councils to clean up historic gum litter staining in our towns and cities, as well as taking action to prevent people littering in the first place.”

Littering is a criminal offence, with councils in England able to give on-the-spot penalties up to £150.

They can also take offenders to court, which can result in a fine of up to £2,500 if convicted.

The money announced by Defra is the first part of a package worth up to £10 million from major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, which produces brands such as Mentos, to tackle chewing gum stains.

Environment secretary George Eustice said: “Littering blights our towns and costs taxpayers money.

"Working with responsible gum manufacturers, we are now giving councils extra help to clean up our cities and towns."

A Defra spokesperson said the investment will be spread over five years.

Hayley Osborne, communications and sustainability manager for Perfetti Van Melle, said: “As a manufacturer of gum products we are aware of the unfortunate impact our products can cause to cities and towns.

"By working together with industry peers, councils and customers, we can also help be part of the solution, helping to clean up our streets and educating consumers on the importance of safe gum disposal."