After a complaint from traders and residents, Council bosses are planning to take action to stop paan chewers from turning Leicester's Golden Mile red with spit.
If one goes around, they will reportedly see that an alleway on Belgrave road opposite Law Street has two large patches stained by red spit. Sections of the front doors of the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre arealso stained red and a fence near a bus stop at the junction of Doncaster Road and Melton Road has been discoloured.
The red spit is generated by people who chew paan, which is sold by various shops along the Golden Mile.
Paan, which is chewed as a stimulant and digestive aid, is a preparation combining betel leaf with areca nut and lime sometimes also with tobacco.
A city council spokesman reportedly said: "We are aware of this problem which is unhygienic and leaves unsightly staining on pavements.
Officials at Leicester City Council are think about bringing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to try to stop the spitting along parts of Melton Road and Belgrave Road.
A resident, who did not want to be named, told a local newspaper: "The alleyway has a 'no spitting' sign painted on the wall due to it being used a spitting area.
"It's awful. It's more like a crime scene from Jack the Ripper than a driveway on Belgrave Road.
"The Golden Mile should be renamed as Red Spit Road."
