After more than 20 years satisfying thousands of sweet tooths with 99s, Richmond could soon be saying goodbye to Mr Vella the ice cream seller.

Laurence Vella, who has sold ice creams from a small car park between Petersham Road and the riverside for as long as he can remember, has been told by the highways department at Richmond Council he must move on or, he claims, face a £1,000 fine and the prospect of having his 32-year-old van crushed.

He is being refused a licence to sell in the location, with officers labelling his van an obstruction to vehicles using the area for loading and unloading.

Mr Vella said: “I would like to give them all a 99 to calm them all down. They are going way over the top.

“I am losing my living – I’ve been working there for years and years and I think it’s unfair they will try and push me out.

“It’s the same old thing, big brother fighting a little man.”

But the “little man” is fighting back.

Mr Vella has collected about 250 signatures from lolly-loving customers who want to see the van stay put, and has continued to pitch there on weekends.

He is pleading with the council not to turn against him like the weather has.

He said: “An ice cream man only earns money when the sun shines, and last weekend I barely had enough to keep a sausage alive.

“[The council] has got the power and I haven’t – it’s a hard life for an ice cream man.”

He believes he is being “singled out” by the council because other cars park on yellow lines and in loading/unloading bays daily, but have had no action taken against them.

A council spokesman said: “We are unable to grant a licence to Mr Vella at this particular site because there are parking restrictions in the area where he has been trading.

“These parking restrictions comprise one loading bay to provide a servicing area to the nearby residential and business properties and double yellow lines to keep the rest of the area clear of parked vehicles.

“We will always help small businesses where we can and are happy to work with Mr Vella if he comes up with a viable alternative site.”

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