MP praises volunteers and warns of nitrous oxide threat

Volunteer litter=pickers find canisters of nitrous oxide [Photo: Litter Free Ilkley]

Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has urged the government to make nitrous oxide canisters harder to obtain following reports of hundreds being discarded locally.

Volunteer group Litter Free Ilkley has reported finding around 100 canisters a week, despite recreational use and possession being illegal since 2023, when nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to as ‘NOS’ or ‘laughing gas’, became a Class C drug.

Although nitrous oxide has legitimate uses in medicine, dentistry and cooking, its recreational use remains a concern. Robbie praised the work of local litter-picking volunteers and highlighted the safety risks posed by people driving under its influence, particularly as the substance can be difficult for police to detect. When the ban came into force they were the third most-used recreational drug amongst 16-24-year-olds in England.

Robbie raised the issue in the House of Commons and urged the Leader of the House, Sir Alan Campbell MP, to table a debate in government time discussing the dangers of nitrous oxide and urged the government to take decisive action to make the cannisters harder to obtain.

Canisters of nitrous oxide collected on Ilkley Moor [Photo: Litter Free Ilkley]

Robbie Moore MP said: “The evidence is clear. In Keighley and Ilkley and right across the country, Nitrous Oxide canisters are causing dangerous driving on our roads, putting all road users at risk and are a blight on our streets.”

“Innocent people across the United Kingdom have already lost their lives in accidents because of a driver who had used nitrous oxide. I am proud I was a member of the government which made its recreational use illegal, but now this government must go further and make it harder for these canisters to fall into the wrong hands. Without tough action, more people will be killed or seriously injured due to the use of nitrous oxide and I am not willing to stand by and let it happen.

“I want to thank Litter Free Ilkley for all of their vital work around Ilkley and the surrounding areas, and member of the group Moo Ping Vivienne Boey for raising their work with me.

“As residents will know, we have an ongoing problem with dangerous driving in Keighley and Ilkley. I regularly raise residents concerns with the senior Police Officers and will continue to do so, and I urge anyone who witnesses or knows someone driving intoxicated to report it.”

Litter Free Ilkley say its volunteers found 153 nitrous oxide cylinders during the height of the summer in September across the group's wider collection area, which it says approximately 53 were found in Ilkley, with 10 recorded in Menston.

Moo Ping Vivienne Boey from Litter Free Ilkley said: "My concerns extend well beyond littering and the discarded canisters. The evidence of serious nitrous oxide misuse in and surrounding areas raises much wider concerns for our region, particularly roads leading in and out of Ilkley - the potential danger

posed by individuals driving under its influence."

A large collection of canisters found on litter picks [Photo: Litter Free Ilkley]

Other local litter-picking groups also report finding large numbers of discarded cylinders with Baildon Litter Free's Jeffery Yates saying: "I think we must collect 50–60 a month, mainly in lay-bys and places where cars can pull in along the outer roads. The airport viewing area is a particular hotspot.

At Litter Free Leeds, Sandra McLean reports the group have picked up over 2,500 since the start of the year and said: "We have been lobbying our local MPs, namely Fabian Hamilton and Katie White, in the areas where we find the highest numbers of nitrous oxide canisters."

Little Free Ilkley says it will continue to highlight that this is not simply a litter problem, but a much wider issue involving environmental protection, public health and road safety.