Ice cream van accused of 'nuisance chiming'

An ice cream van owner could have his renewal licence application rejected after complaints

An ice cream van company allegedly chiming its music for too long is set to discover if its licence will be renewed.

Affectionately known as Mr Whippy in Cheltenham, Bambas Shaouna has applied to Cheltenham Borough Council to renew his licence.

But council officers have advised councillors to reject the application at a meeting on Thursday after the company was also accused of parking too close to schools.

Mr Shaouna said he had received eight complaints in six years, and most of the "small little errors" were down to a lack of staff training, which was being rectified.

The maximum amount of time ice cream vans are supposed to leave a chimer on is 12 seconds.

Complaints have also been made against the company for obstructing pavements and operating without a licence.

Mr Shaouna, who has been working in the market town since the 1990s, told the BBC his business partner thought they already had permission to operate when they were submitting the licence renewal documents.

Council officers are recommending councillors refuse the application because of "air quality and children’s health" along with "concerns raised about the apparent/ alleged failure to comply with advice, and trading without consent".

A meeting to discuss the licence renewal is taking place at 18:00 BST at the Municipal Offices in Cheltenham.