Oh no. A mother has discovered an ice cream vendor illegally selling cigarettes to kids from the back of his ice cream van. Well you insisted on high taxes and punitive regulations, you were warned that this would happen.
So what did the police say?
"We spoke to the local PCSO about it, but he said Brian has a licence from the council..."
Oh? He has a license to sell cigarettes from his iced cream van. So they're not fake cigarettes, they're not cheap imports and he's not selling them to children. Whats the problem?
Grandad-of-two Brian Hughes, who runs Brian's Ice Cream Van in Barnstaple, said he was not doing anything wrong by selling tobacco out of his van and even had a licence to do it.
Brian, who has been running his van for 30 years, said he had been selling cigarettes from it for 20 years, and had not had any complaints before.
Yes but the righteous are out in force these days, something you never had to contend with before. It won't be long before idiots like these get you banned from selling cigarettes. It's all for the kiddies you know.
But mum and town councillor Christine Brennan told the Journal she and other mums felt selling cigarettes from an ice cream van was morally wrong, and encouraged young people to smoke.
It is not for you to decide other peoples morals. If you don't like it then feel free not to use the iced cream van. The simple act of selling cigarettes does not encourage children to smoke. You have to be over eighteen to buy cigarettes and if this man wants to keep his licence he will make sure that his customers are old enough.
Christine, 49, from Frankmarsh, said: "It's totally inappropriate, when I found out about it I was very angry. Whether he is doing it legally or not doesn't matter, ice cream does attract children and it's not appropriate.
Do you take your kids to the supermarket? Do they buy things in corner shops? Cigarettes are for sale in lot of shops that children use but I'm assuming you want sales banned from any place that a child may see them. In the back of an iced cream van they won't even be on display.
"Older children will end up buying cigarettes for younger siblings, it's obscene basically. I think it's sick that people can get them off an ice cream van.
This mans responsibility is to make sure no underage kids buy his cigarettes. Weather or not your underage children get their hands on them from other people and smoke them is, well, yours.
Christine added she was especially sensitive about youngsters smoking, after she discovered her 16-year-old daughter had taken up the habit.
Ahhh, a moment of clarity. You're looking for someone other than yourself to blame for your daughter smoking?
She said: "We suspected she was for a while, we'd found cigarette packets around and had an idea, but now she's old enough there is not much we can do to stop her.
The force in strong in this one. Not. Finding cigarette packets only gave you an idea? At sixteen she is not old enough and there is something you can do. You can be a parent. You can educate and discipline your children rather than looking for others to blame for your failings.
A spokesperson from Smokefree South West said: "Selling cigarettes from an ice-cream van is a shocking example of how we are exposing children to a lifelong habit that will have debilitating effects on their health. To have packets of cigarettes next to ice lollies is something that these concerned mums are quite right to complain about.
This iced cream man is exposing children to nothing of the sort. He sells cigarettes to adults, just like many businesses do, and he certainly doesn't have fags next to iced lollies which are kept in the freezer you righteous prick.
But Brian, who said he probably sells the cheapest 99 with a flake in town at 50p a time, said he was not doing anything wrong.
He said: "It's not under the counter and it's not against the law.
"It's up to the parents to educate their children about smoking. I don't agree with smoking, it's not good for you."
He added: "I don't sell to kids or encourage kids to smoke. I can understand why they get upset about their children smoking, but maybe they should look at themselves really.
Well said Brian. I hope these idiots don't have a bad effect on your business, but looking at the comments, every one of them is strongly siding with you.
"I've never done a great amount, but you've got to give people what they want. What can I say, it's up to the people who buy them."
I like this man.
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