'Off the scale' haul of nitrous oxide cans found
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- Peterborough Litter Wombles collected 82 discarded nitrous oxide canisters around Norman Road Car Park, far above the group's usual 3–12 per session, with member Harry Machin calling the find "off the scale."
- Machin said many of the canisters were "current" rather than historic, and that volunteers are increasingly finding larger canisters replacing the smaller silver versions once common on the streets.
- Cambridgeshire Police disclosed it disposed of 972 nitrous oxide canisters over the past 12 months and confirmed officers have noticed the same shift toward larger discarded canisters.
- Nitrous oxide, a colourless gas still used in medicine, dentistry and catering, was reclassified as 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, plus stronger enforcement against illegal sales; the proposal will be debated Wednesday at the Fletton Quays office.
- Residents who discover discarded canisters are advised to take them to a Household Waste Recycling Centre for safe disposal.
Why it matters: Peterborough's litter group now routinely outpaces what most councils would treat as a one-off incident, and Cambridgeshire Police's 972-canister annual disposal total makes the scale of public misuse visible — Hussain's motion forces councillors to vote Wednesday on whether awareness campaigns and tougher enforcement can match a drug trade reclassified only two years ago.
