Nottingham City Council warns over cost of 'unnecessary' litter
Nottingham City Council has urged residents to help keep the city free from litter after it announced costs of £3.6m to clear "unnecessary" waste.
The authority said it was having to spend £50,000 clearing gum, £570,000 picking up cigarette litter and £234,000 clearing dog waste.
It also announced spending of £615,000 on fly-tipping and a further £180,000 removing graffiti.
Nottingham currently holds the title of the UK's cleanest large city.
The award was given by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management as part of their Clean Britain Awards.
Councillor Alex Norris said: "Being the cleanest big city is something we are really proud of in Nottingham.
"But it comes at a cost, with literally millions of pounds being spent on cleaning up mess which is totally unnecessary," he said.
"It really is a waste of money, especially in these times when every penny the council spends counts."