An "anti-chewing gum" protective coating has been applied to a city centre street -- which should make the sticky substance easier to remove.

City Works, the city council's cleansing department, started a three-day trial in St Ebbe's Street.

The protective coating does not prevent gum sticking to the pavement, but is easier to clean and reduces discolouring.

City Works decided to test out the coating after visiting Kingston upon Thames, where a similar scheme had proved successful.

Dave Huddle, area manager for City Works, said: "We were invited to see an area treated with the protective coating at Kingston upon Thames and were impressed with the ease that gum was removed from the treated surface."

Before the coating is applied, council staff deep cleaned pavements in St Ebbe's Street.

Last month, the Oxford Mail reported that chewing gum fans could face a penny-a-packet tax in a bid to stop the sticky substance blighting Oxford's streets.

The council wants the Government to make users and manufacturers contribute towards cleaning up discarded gum -- which costs UK tax payers £150m a year. Oxford is at the forefront of the war against chewing gum and is one of 35 local authorities backing Westminster City Council's call for gum producers to help meet clean-up costs.