The leader of Douglas Council has denied claims street cleaning equipment has been sold at a huge loss to the ratepayer.

A machine to rid pavements of chewing gum was purchased for £120,000 in 2011.

Douglas Council was the first local authority in the British Isles to take delivery of the equipment after the manufacturer was recognised in the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management (CIWM) environmental excellence awards in November 2010.

The unit promised to deliver high pressure, high temperature water to pavements to remove chewing gum and the stains it leaves, along with other litter such as cigarette ends and then recycles the dirty water leaving surfaces dry. No chemicals are used and no damage to pavement grouting is caused.

The purchase was widely derided by the public at the time of purchase as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

David Christian justified the machine’s acquisition in 2011 and said: ’Despite these challenging economic times we remain committed to creating a town that will attract new business and investment, visitors and residents.

’However regeneration will stand for nothing if it is compromised by dirty pavements blighted by chewing gum, other litter and graffiti. It is against this background that the council has invested in equipment that we see as complementing our commitment to raising environmental standards.’

Mr Christian insists the device is still in use, despite parts being sold at a recent auction for £200, and said claims suggesting otherwise were: ’Not true at all.

’Unfortunately [it is] misinformation that has been put out there’.

UK firm Gum Clear, which supplied the equipment to Douglas Council, was dissolved in 2016.

Mr Christian continued: ’Near enough from day one we had problems with it.

’The company let us down badly. Although the sales talk [and demonstration were] very good, they let us down on the back up of that machine.

’We had to constantly keep repairing it. After a two- or three-year period we decided to strip the equipment out of the back of the vehicle.

’The old jet-washing equipment [is what has been sold] - so basically it was there for scrap purposes - that is what is been sold off ’The vehicle itself which was the bulk of the cost of the equipment is actually in use on a daily basis in the cleansing department.

’So no, not a £120,000 loss at all.’