A voluntary litter-picking group in Peterborough discovered 82 discarded nitrous oxide canisters in a single day, an amount described as "off the scale" by a member.
Volunteers from Peterborough Litter Wombles found the canisters around Norman Road Car Park. Harry Machin, a member of the group, stated that this location is one of several where paraphernalia related to the misuse of the drug is regularly found. He noted that while some canisters may be older, many are current.
Machin added that the group typically collects between three and 12 canisters during a litter-picking session. The find of 82 was significantly higher than their usual average. The group has also observed a trend toward larger canisters, moving away from the smaller silver versions that were once more common.
Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that officers have also noticed an increase in larger canisters being discarded. Over the past 12 months, the force has disposed of 972 such canisters.