Bradford ice cream turf war spills into violence as children look on

The confrontation last summer saw the Bradford vendors squaring up to each other with weapons, a court heard.

Yasar Akhtar, 20, was selling cornets in the Manningham district of the city from his Super Whippy van when Tariq Mahmood, 20, sped up in his ice cream van.

Children played nearby while Mahmood ran to Akhtar's van and smashed every window with a wrench.

The court heard he battered the bonnet and doors of the vehicle which was decorated with cartoon characters.

Both men, who pleaded guilty to affray on August 15 last year, appeared at Bradford Crown Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Elyas Patel said: "Akhtar had done nothing wrong and was the victim of an unprovoked and extensive attack.

"His vehicle was given a thorough going-over by Mr Mahmood".

Akhtar then joined in the impromptu battle, striking Mahmood's van with a metal bar, saying: "Come on, big man."

The back light was smashed in the attack.

The two ice cream men were squaring up to each other, armed with the wrench and bar, when someone shouted 'Police' and they ran back to their vans and were arrested at the scene - the court heard.

Akhtar, of Bradford, showed officers a cut on his back he said he suffered in the violence and accused Mahmood of following him as part of the rivalry, before smashing up his van.

Mahmood, also of Bradford, said Akhtar should have left the park by 3pm as part of their territory-sharing agreement.

Ian Hudson, representing Mahmood, said his client was working for his father who had sold ice cream for 25 years.

The elders in both families had now resolved the problem of who sold ice cream on which patch and when, the court heard.

Judge Peter Benson described it as "an ice cream turf war".

'It was an atrocious piece of conduct in front of the young children you should have been selling ice cream to,' he told the defendants.

Both men were sentenced to 12-month community orders. Mahmood must do 180 hours' unpaid work and Akhtar 80 hours. Each was ordered to pay 50 towards the prosecution costs.