Town councillors were left incensed by ice cream sellers peddling their wares on genteel Frinton’s hallowed Greensward and seafront.

Last week the Gazette revealed how town councillors were taking aim at ice cream sellers, who they claim are not licensed to sell their goods on the Tendring Council-owned greensward.

Frinton is protective of the famous greensward and the town’s representatives have long been keen to refer to it as a “town by the sea” as opposed to a kiss-me-quick seaside resort like Walton or Clacton.

Councillors and residents have this summer been enraged by unruly behaviour and bad parking as visitors, unable to go abroad due to the Covid-19 pandemic, descended in their droves.

READ MORE >>> 'We don't want ice cream sellers at our genteel seaside town'

But do you agree ice cream sellers should not be at the resort?

What did the councillors say?

Councillor Terry Allen: “Once you allow one person to start selling, they’ll be another and another – and soon we’ll turn into just another town, just another resort.

“People come to Frinton in their thousands not for what it has got, but for what it hasn’t got.

“They can park up for free, walk across the greensward and go down to the beach, without kids begging for an ice cream and this and that.

“Why do we want to be the same as Clacton? Clacton doesn’t want to be the same as us. We’d just be taking trade from them.

“It’s ‘no, no, no’ to ice cream sellers. All we have here is a brilliant sea and beach and an ambiance that everyone loves – that’s why people come here.

“We’ve got more than enough visitors, which some seaside resorts with all their razzmatazz would love.

“We are a town by the sea not a seaside resort and we should keep it that way.”

But Walton councillor Ann Oxley said she was saddened councillors had come down so hard on an ice cream seller.

“I love Frinton, I shop there, eat there and have coffee there but I find it quite sad that we are saying if they haven’t got a licence they’re not allowed to cycle along the top there selling ice creams,” she said.

“Years ago people used to do it and my husband’s grandfather sold fish on the sea front in Frinton.

“I don’t understand why you are so closed to people doing this sort of thing in Frinton.”