Norwich covered in sticky sap from Tombland to Riverside

City slickers have become city stickers after a black gooey substance stopped them in their tracks.

In recent weeks Norwich has been covered in the sticky mess known as Sycamore Aphid across the Fine City, with central hot spots including Westlegate, Tombland and Riverside Road.

Walkers say their shoes have been covered in the gunge, which was first noticed last week, during their commutes.

According to city tree boffins, the goop is created when aphids feed on trees.

Norwich's sticky Golden Ball Street (Image: Newsquest)

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Jez Prewen-Andrews of Bracondale-based Mainline Tree Service said: "We get this every year.

"It is a byproduct of aphids feeding on sycamore trees and as they feed they release this sticky sap."

Golden Ball Street has become covered in the substance (Image: Newsquest)

The sap then drips off of the tree and on to anything below it, with reports of streets, homes and cars getting caked in the black sooty mould.

Experts say that while black mould is often dangerous to humans, this residue is not harmful and will be familiar to gardeners.

A city man becomes stuck in sap (Image: Newsquest)

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A lack of rainfall has meant the secretion has not been washed away as it normally would and has been left clinging to city pavements.

Anyone who needs to get rid of the gunge should use a mixture of water and detergent to remove it.

A city woman walking through the sap in Westlegate (Image: Newsquest)

It comes after city folk were staying in their homes in order to avoid Norwich's super slippery streets just months ago after freezing weather had paved the streets with ice.

Norwich City Council was even forced to send out extra gritters to deal with the problem and encouraged people to use their nearest grit bins

And the council said it had already received reports of the latest issue.

A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said: “Extra street cleaning can be carried out if issues like this are reported to the council via our website: www.norwich.gov.uk/report.

“We’ve already had some people report the sap on the ground to us and teams have been out to do extra cleans.”