More than 40,000 unsightly blobs of gum have been blasted off the streets of Macclesfield.

The sticky spring clean, launched by Cheshire East Council, is in response to complaints from residents and businesses who were frustrated by the amount of chewing gum littering Macclesfield’s streets.

Streets targeted by the deep clean included Chestergate and Castle Street, along with the stretch of road from the library, through Market Place, down Mill Street to the Bus Station exit and Roe Street.

Specialist cleaning contractors worked through the night using high-pressure jet washers to blast the unsightly gum and other grime from the pavements.

Caroline Simpson, executive director of economic growth and prosperity at Cheshire East Council, said: “People told us that they were fed up of the chewing gum, which makes the pavements look such a mess. The deep clean has removed a staggering amount of it – the contractors estimated there were four blobs per square metre which would give a total of 40,000.We recognise that a pleasant town centre environment is important to all residents, businesses and visitors in Macclesfield and a spring clean is just what the town needed.”

Caroline added that the responsibility is now on residents to ensure the town stays chewing gum free.

She said: “We hope that by maintaining high standards for the appearance of the town centre, we will generate a feel-good factor which will encourage more people to spend time in the town centre. We are appealing to people to dispose of gum more carefully in future so that we can keep the streets looking clean and neat.”

To complete the clean-up, all of the street furniture in Mill Street, Castle Street and Park Green has had a fresh lick of paint, with plans to do the same at Waters Green, the Bus Station and Roe Street.

The town makeover is proving to be a big hit with businesses in the town centre who are thrilled with the smartened up streets.

Peter Mayhew, store manager at Marks & Spencer in Macclesfield, said: “It’s great to see the difference the clean-up team has made to the key retail trading streets in Macclesfield.

“It’s brilliant to see the town starting to refresh itself and I look forward to lots more improvements in the town throughout 2015.”