Vow to tackle city problem of nitrous oxide misuse

82 purple cylinder-shaped canisters on the grass. They are surrounded by green and blue plastic bags full of rubbish.

Image source, Harry MachinImage caption,

Peterborough Litter Wombles collected 82 canisters alongside dozens of bags of rubbish in the east of the city

ByShariqua AhmedPeterborough

Published30 July 2026, 13:17 BST

Updated 42 minutes ago

A city council has unanimously approved a motion aimed at tackling nitrous oxide misuse through a combination of public education and stronger enforcement measures.

The move follows concerns from community litter-picking groups in Peterborough, who say they are regularly finding discarded nitrous oxide canisters at hotspots across the city.

Last week, Peterborough Litter Wombles collected 82 canisters in a single day, one of the group's largest hauls to date.

The motion, external was put forward by Independent councillor Ishfaq Hussain and seconded by Conservative councillor Javed Akhtar during Wednesday's council meeting.

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Nitrous oxide, a colourless gas used in medicine, dentistry and the catering industry, was made a Class C drug in 2023.

Cambridgeshire Police said the force had disposed of 972 canisters over the past 12 months and confirmed officers had also noticed a rise in the larger canisters being discarded.

Hussain, who represents the Dogsthorpe ward, called on the council to work with police, the licensing team, and community groups to deliver an awareness campaign highlighting "the health risks and legal consequences of possession and supply".

A request was also made to council officers to engage with local retailers who legitimately sell nitrous oxide to encourage responsible retail practices, including staff awareness, age verification where appropriate, refusing suspicious sales and maintaining records of commercial purchases where lawful.

He also asked the council leader to lobby the government for stronger national measures and enforcement to curb the issue of illegal supply and use of the drug.

The motion was passed unanimously by the city councillors.

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