A council is spending £30,000 a year cleaning pavements and buildings stained with a reddish-brown substance from people spitting out a stimulant called paan.
The rust-coloured mix of saliva and paan is blighting the streets of Wembley in North West London, where it is commonly chewed by people from South East Asia.
Paan is a mix of betel nut, tobacco and spices wrapped in a leaf and has been used for centuries by some communities as a palate cleanser or breath freshener.
But it also gives the user a stimulant or narcotic effect and leaves unsightly stains when spat out, with Brent Council now launching a ‘zero-tolerance’ crackdown.
The authority said it was struggling to remove the marks, even with high-powered cleaning jets – and the issue was causing ‘serious health and environmental damage’.
Enforcement officers will now be on patrol as the council tries to fight back, and it warned perpetrators they could be handed a fixed penalty notice of up to £100.
Residents will additionally be provided with one-to-one support to get help on quitting as part of a local public health scheme to tackle tobacco, smoking and paan.
The Labour-run council has also put up banners in three hotspots – but the Brent Liberal Democrats criticised the announcement as ‘far too little, far too late’.
Structures in Wembley stained with a reddish-brown substance from people spitting out paan
The rust-coloured mix of saliva and paan is blighting the streets of North West London
Cancer Research UK warns chewing paan with tobacco raises the risk of oral cancer, gum disease and heart problems – with dangers on par with cigarette smoking.
Dr Shazia Siddiqi, Brent’s clinical lead for primary and community care, said: ‘We see patients with oral health issues linked to paan use. Additives like betel nut and tobacco, when eaten frequently in the paan can pose serious health risks.
‘Regular use of betel nut has been linked to oral and oesophageal cancers, while tobacco is highly addictive.
‘Both can cause recurrent mouth ulcers and bleeding gums and can also weaken the immune system and increase the risk of infections like tuberculosis.’
The council said it was working with faith and community groups, hosting workshops in mosques, temples and community centres to raise awareness and help people quit.
Neil Nerva, the local authority’s cabinet member for community health and wellbeing, said: ‘We’re committed to protecting residents’ health and keeping our streets clean.
The Labour-run council has put up banners in three hotspots around Wembley to warn of fines
A sign in Gujarati and English in Wembley warns people to avoid spitting paan in public areas
‘Paan spitting is not just unpleasant – it’s harmful, costly, and unacceptable. You are playing with your health, messing with your streets – let’s work together to stop paan spitting.’
Krupa Sheth, cabinet member for public realm and enforcement, added: ‘I am delighted that we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to those who ruin our streets, that includes those that spit out paan and stain street furniture. Don’t mess with Brent, because we will catch you and fine you.’
But Brent Liberal Democrats leader Paul Lorber told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: ‘People in Wembley, Alperton and Sudbury have been dealing with disgusting chewing tobacco-spitting on our streets for years, while [the council] looked the other way. Now, suddenly, just before an election, they want credit for “cracking down”?
‘We demanded more enforcement in hotspot areas where spitting often takes place, and have even pushed for a ban on chewing tobacco because of the health dangers and the mess it leaves everywhere.
‘If the Labour council had taken real action sooner, our streets wouldn’t be as stained and filthy as they are today.’
