'Off the scale' haul of nitrous oxide cans found — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Peterborough Litter Wombles collected 82 discarded nitrous oxide canisters around Norman Road Car Park, which member Harry Machin called "off the scale" compared with the group's usual single-session haul of 3 to 12.
- Harry Machin said an "awful lot" of the canisters were current rather than historic and noted volunteers are increasingly finding larger canisters instead of the smaller silver versions once common.
- Cambridgeshire Police said the force disposed of 972 nitrous oxide canisters over the past 12 months and confirmed officers have also observed the shift toward larger discarded canisters.
- Nitrous oxide, a colourless gas used in medicine, dentistry and the catering industry, was made a Class C drug in 2023.
- Conservative councillor Ishfaq Hussain has submitted a motion to Peterborough's full council calling for a joint public awareness campaign with police, health services, schools and community groups and stronger enforcement against illegal sales, to be debated Wednesday at Fletton Quays.
Why it matters: The 82-canister find and the police's 972-canister annual disposal tally quantify a local enforcement gap around a substance that only became a Class C drug in 2023 — and Wednesday's council debate will test whether Peterborough pairs education with enforcement against illegal sellers or leaves litter-picking groups to absorb the fallout.
Ask SkimNews
