Leicester ice cream seller, 72, celebrates 40 years selling cones

He said he was searching for a new job in his 30s when his brother‑in‑law, who had an ice cream van, encouraged him to give it a try.

Davda, from the Belgrave area, said: “I worked with him selling ice cream for a while.

“I thought, ‘This is a good business, I’ll start my own’.

“I loved it and never looked back.”

He recalls how the menu in the 1980s was simple and the prices were more affordable.

“The first ice cream I ever sold cost 10p, 15p if you wanted a flake, and ice lollies cost only 5p,” he said.

“I used to fill my fuel tank up for £8 and now in my new van it costs me £90 to £100 to fill it up for work.”

Davda said over the decades he has had to adapt to customers’ desires for different flavours, colours and combinations of ice cream.

“The options back then were simple – ice cream with a flake and sauce,” he said.

“Now there are so many different types, and gelatos, slushies and new toppings.”