An ice cream man has had his say after videos and pictures circulated on social media of long queues of cars waiting to be served at the County Ground and Bridgemead shopping park on Sunday.

Francesco Carchedi, 36, has been serving ice creams since 2005, following his dad into the trade. The owner of Chez’s Ices sells themed dessert trays, with ice cream flavours and designs inspired by everything from Biscoff biscuits to rainbows and unicorns.

During the coronavirus lockdown he has been offering a drive-through-type service. People can roll up in their cars, order through their window and pick up their ice creams from a table set up by Mr Carchedi’s pink-and-white van.

He told the Adver: “Just before the government announced the lockdown I was driving around, seeing kebab vans and takeaways with people going up for food. I thought to myself, I could do this but in a much safer manner. I saw this hot weather coming. I went to the council and talked to them about my idea. I had thought about doing deliveries, but instead came up with doing a drive-through.

“There’s no contact. It gets people out the house in the car, coming and buying an ice cream. I’m not doing cones, it’s all the takeaway trays.”

As he wanted to set up his van on the County Ground car park he was told by the council he needed a traders’ licence, which he obtained.

“They said it wasn’t in their hands what the police would do – the police have the authority to shut me down. But on the day they were so friendly,” he said.

The event had been advertised on Facebook before Sunday. And, on the day, scores of people joined queues in their cars, with a PCSO organising the vehicles into a snake-like line.

Mr Carchedi said: “I expected it to be busy, but not as busy as it was. People were ordering four or five at a time. They said to me they were queueing for two hours.”

He responded to criticism online, with people questioning whether an ice cream was an essential item justifying a trip out of the house. One man wrote on a police Facebook page: “So much for the so-called lockdown. Some people seem to be treating it as one big joke.” “I know people have said it’s not an essential, but is a kebab an essential? If the government had said it’s just supermarkets and pharmacies that can open I would understand, but they said takeaways are allowed,” Mr Carchedi said.

Wiltshire Police said yesterday that officers had spoken to Swindon Borough Council’s licensing team, who confirmed all the correct licences had been obtained.

“Social distancing rules were also observed by all the customers,” a spokesman said.

“We would, however, continue to urge people to look at their own actions and take personal responsibility about whether their journey is essential and whether their actions could put either themselves or others at risk.”