The cheerful sound of ice cream vans may be a thing of the past after Sean Kempin of British Bulldog lost a test case in the High Court yesterday.

Mr Kempin, of Gardner Road in Portslade, disputed a decision made by Brighton and Hove Council to impose a street licence fee of £500 on each of his vans.

He maintains as they move about the suburbs, they are roundsmen and should not be liable to any charge.

It was mean of the council to insist on this charge, which does not bring in a great deal of income to the authority.

Mr Kempin showed the British bulldog spirit in taking the fight as far as he did. He was backed up by ice cream sellers across the country.

But it's unlikely he, as a small businessman, can carry on fighting any longer. Now, other councils will be free to impose their own charges.

Margins are fairly tight in the ice cream business, which is seasonal and relies on small sales, mainly to children.

Whereas once there were thousands of vans all over the country, competition from supermarkets has reduced that number to a few.

Mr Kempin is the last remaining salesman in Brighton and Hove.

Now kids on estates and in parks along with sellers like Mr Kempin are taking a licking.