Brent Council has disclosed that it allocates over £30,000 annually to clean pavements and buildings marked by a reddish-brown residue caused by people spitting out a substance known as paan.

Chewing paan is prevalent in certain areas of north-west London, especially around Wembley, where one can frequently observe the rust-colored mixture of saliva and paan splattered on various surfaces, including telephone booths and in flowerbeds.

Paan is a concoction made from components such as betel nut and leaf, herbs, and tobacco which, when chewed, produces a narcotic effect for the user.

This form of chewing tobacco is widely embraced within the South East Asian community.

In response to the issue, Brent Council has committed to a “zero-tolerance approach,” indicating that the problem is not only expensive to address but also poses “serious health and environmental risks.”

The council has noted the extreme difficulty in completely removing the persistent stains from the streets, asserting that “even powerful cleaning jets” often fail to eliminate the marks.

As part of their initiative, the Labour-led council has erected banners in three key areas identified as significant trouble spots for paan spitting.

Additionally, enforcement officers will be on the lookout for offenders, who could be facing a fixed penalty notice of up to £100.

The Brent Liberal Democrats criticized this move as “insufficient and overdue,” claiming they have long advocated for action to address the problem.

Their leader, Paul Lorber, stated: “We have called for enhanced enforcement in areas where spitting is rampant and have even advocated for a ban on chewing tobacco due to its health risks and the litter it generates.”

Krupa Sheth, the cabinet member for the environment at Brent Council, remarked: “I am thrilled that we persist in our zero-tolerance stance against those who tarnish our streets, including those who spit out paan and stain public property.

“Don’t underestimate Brent; we will catch you and impose a fine.”

Research from the World Health Organization has indicated that betel is carcinogenic, increasing the risk of cancer even when tobacco is not present in the paan.