TAKING PRIDE IN THE PAVEMENTS OF WYTHENSHAWE

The residents of Wythenshawe can now enjoy a gum-free shopping experience, after more than 2,000 pieces of used chewing gum were removed from the town centre’s streets.

The clean-up programme was managed by town centre owner St. Modwen, as part of its ongoing commitment to make Wythenshawe town centre ‘cleaner, safer and greener’.

The four clean-up team members scoured two miles of pavement over a six day period, painstakingly removing chewing gum with the help of high pressure steam jet washers and scrapers. A special protective coating was also applied to protect the pavements and prevent further damage.

Town centre manager Lee Paddock said: “Chewing gum is an unsightly problem that plagues most outdoor shopping centres but we’re proud to say that Wythenshawe is now the exception to the rule.

“It’s been a big job and has taken 30 man-hours but it’s been well worth it – lots of shoppers have already commented on how much better it looks. We’re hoping it will stay this way. After all, a clean and tidy community is much easier to take pride in than a dirty one.”