AN ICE-cream man’s livelihood “melted away before him” after he was denied a licence to trade at Freshwater West.

Appearing before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday (February 3), Kevin Goldsworthy, 54, of Incline Way, Saundersfoot, admitted selling ice-creams from his van at the beach last June, despite not having the necessary permit.

For 30 years, father-of-three Goldsworthy has operated a mobile ice cream van under the name Holly’s Lollies, and is a familiar face on the Pembrokeshire Coast.

He had re-applied for an annual licence to trade at Freshwater West, but Pembrokeshire County Council decided not to grant it.

Justin Amos, prosecuting on behalf of Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC), said on June 26 a PCC officer spotted Goldsworthy at the beach, selling ice creams to the public from his van.

“The officer knew the defendant, and approached him to inform him he was street trading without the necessary licence, in conflict with the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company, which trades from the National Trust car park, has a licence and has consent,” Mr Amos explained.

Jon Tarrant, defending, said Goldsworthy felt “the weight of the world” was against him.

“In the letter my client received from PCC telling him his licence application had failed, it seems PCC has excluded him after discussions with the National Trust,” said Mr Tarrant.

“He was granted this application the previous year and nothing has changed. Somewhere in the next 12 months before he re-applied someone, somewhere, had changed their attitude towards his business.”

Mr Tarrant said Goldsworthy was “concerned” that a particular brand of ice cream had “become very prevalent” in Pembrokeshire over the last few years.

“He has concerns because he knows the owner of that brand has been involved in the management of the National Trust.

"I’m not going to name names – that’s just my client’s viewpoint. He feels what has happened is a triumph of the ‘big boys’ over a small business,” the solicitor said.

Mr Tarrant added that Goldsworthy’s business was “not a threat” to the Beach Food outlet, which mostly sells hot, savoury food.

“Now his two ice cream vans are just sitting there, absolutely worthless, and he is claiming benefits. I’m sure we all have fond memories of the sound of an ice cream van coming down the street, but that may be becoming a thing of the past,” said Mr Tarrant.

“My client wasn’t trying to cause trouble, he was making a stand for the common man. But he was in breach of a licence and he’s not going to do it again. His business has quite literally melted away before him.”

Magistrates fined Goldsworthy £100, and ordered him to pay costs and a surcharge totalling £290.