The familiar chimes of the ice cream van jingle could become a thing of the past thanks to EU meddling.
Fears are rife that many ice cream van owners will be forced out of business by strict new European guidelines which are being introduced in London in January and then rolled out across the rest of the UK.
The lower emission limits will mean hard-up ice cream van owners either having to undertake expensive modifications on their vehicles, or buying new vans altogether.
If not they will be hit by hefty fines.
East Midlands UKIP MEP Derek Clark said: "Here we go again – yet more EU interference and more costs for hard working people for no return.
"This is something else to force people out of business and onto the dole.
"Many of these businesses fall under the small and medium enterprise sector and even European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said that red tape was strangling SMEs so who's not listening to their boss?
"It would be a crying shame to lose yet another British institution because of EU meddling and interference."
Ice cream companies are already being hit by expensive trade licences and insurances, supermarket competition, plus the rise in food and petrol prices.
