AN ice cream seller has narrowly kept his licence despite a string of traffic offences in Thurrock.

John Bonar, owner of South Ockendon ice cream company, Piccadilly Whip, appeared before Thurrock Council's licensing sub-committee to renew his street trading licence.

The committee heard Mr Bonar was notified in August last year that the council had received complaints he was trading on Thames Road, Grays, without a licence for that area and that the council had been notified of fixed penalty notices for parking contraventions. Company vans had also been seen blocking emergency access routes and disabled parking spaces.

Mr Bonar was warned again in April after council officers saw his vehicles in the Thames Road and Grays Beach area, this time telling him he could face prosecution.

Speaking at the committee meeting, Mr Bonar told councillors: "We are probably one of the best rated ice cream vans in the whole country. We won the ice cream caterer of the year for the whole of the UK for the Ice Cream Alliance. We are five star rated. We work in other areas including the Tower of London.

"I try to do everything I can above board. This is the first time I've ever been brought up to explain how I run my business because I try and run it correctly. We try to do everything we can for the community."

Mr Bonar added: "From the beginning I really do believe we were licensed there. I know we were licensed there and I just thought it carried on. The parking, I can't condone that and I will be speaking to the drivers."

The committee granted the licence, including for Grays Beach.

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Announcing the committee's decision, the council's legal advisor said: "The application for the street trading consent is granted. The sub-committee were concerned that the applicant has repeatedly, despite written warnings and fines, encroached into areas not permitted by the current consent and has traded from bays and areas where parking is not permitted.

"That said, the sub-committee are satisfied with submissions to grant with conditions, conditions being to park legally and be mindful of traffic regulations in the area. It is expected that all parking regulations must be adhered to. To specify, consented areas are Aveley, Purfleet, South Ockendon, Grays Beach and Blackshots."

The advisor added: ""Repeated fines are not the appropriate way to deal with continued transgressions and the licence holder is warned that the next breach would likely result in prosecution."