A debate broke out on Good Morning Britain as guests clashed over whether ice cream vans are a noisy nuisance.
Big Brother star Kerry Riches claimed the chimes are “sinister” and “creepy”, while Masterchef’s Theo Michaels said they are the “tapestry of British culture”.
The debate comes after the owner of an ice cream van was threatened with court action for his “too loud” Blue Peter-style chimes.
Kerry said: “I’m not a fan of the ice cream van music, I find it sinister and a bit creepy, like a horror film.” I don’t like.
‘An ice cream van used to be a weekend treat, now they are parked outside the school every day. They’re there every night when you’re trying to make dinner and they want ice cream.
A debate broke out on Good Morning Britain when guests clashed over whether ice cream vans were a noisy nuisance. Masterchef’s Theo Michaels (left) said they are the “tapestry of British culture”
‘My son left school the other day and bought a lemon ice cream for £5.50. If you are a family of four, not all of you will be able to get one for £20, that is unacceptable.
However, Theo disagreed, saying that ice cream vans are a traditional part of British culture.
Theo argued: ‘It’s a tapestry of British culture, we’ve had ice cream vans on our streets for 60 years and the sound permeates. They have to be annoying sounds, you don’t want trendy music. You want annoying sounds that cut through the sound of your own children.
‘When it rings in our house, our children turn into wild cats. “The ice cream van, the ice cream van.” There is this wonder and awe that I find amazing.
“I love the community aspect, it happens outside our house, all the kids run outside, all the other kids run outside, we all come together, there’s this collective spirit, it’s a beautiful thing.”
Presenter Charlotte Hawkins said she had some advice for parents: they should tell their children that the vans have run out of ice cream when they play music.
Many viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to leave their own thoughts on the controversial topic.
One person said: ‘It’s a British institution. We loved it as kids in the ’70s. Even now I love the sound. Where else in the world do they have this?
Big Brother star Kerry Riches (right) said the ice cream chimes are “sinister” and “creepy”.
Presenter Charlotte Hawkins said she had some advice for parents: they should tell their children that the vans have run out of ice cream when they play music.
Many viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to leave their own thoughts on the controversial topic.
Another said: ‘As a former long-term night shift (NHS) worker, they certainly wake you up!’
Someone else said: “The one coming down our dead end is too loud.”
Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: ‘We’ve never been bothered before. When did we become so soft? Why are we always trying to change things that have worked well for everyone?’
It comes after John Barton, 33, who runs Lincolnshire-based Harrison’s Ices, was stunned when he received a letter from the council saying they had received complaints about his jingles.
East Lindsey District Council said there had been reports of “undue noise” caused by the “incorrect or excessive use of the bells” on its bright pink and white van.
The letter warned him that they had a duty to investigate the complaint and that he could face possible prosecution under the Pollution Control Act 1974.
The council wrote: ‘It is said that in good weather the van passes through the area almost every afternoon between 6pm and 7pm.
‘It has been alleged that the chimes are too loud and are used excessively between the times mentioned above.
John Barton (pictured), 33, who runs Lincolnshire-based Harrison’s Ices, was stunned when he received a letter from the council saying they had received complaints about his jingles.
“Blue Peter-style bells are alleged to be ringing too often and potentially for too long.”
But Barton has claimed he is not breaking any rules and that his vans respect the required 45 decibel limit when they ring your favorite doorbell in 12-second bursts.
The company has four vans serving ice cream in the Louth, Grimsby and Cleethorpes areas of Lincolnshire.
The letter sent on April 25 stated that the complaints centered on streets in Louth, including Eastfield Road, Park Avenue and Chestnut Drive.
Barton says he doesn’t even walk some of those streets and rings his distinctive chimes in accordance with government guidelines.
The 33-year-old, who has run the company for ten years, said: “I have come across some strange things in my time and I have to say this is one of the strangest.”
‘The letter basically told us that someone had complained that we were ringing our bells too loudly and claimed that we were breaking the law.
“They’re not too loud, I can barely hear them in my truck – it’s 12 seconds of music and it’s not in your ear.” If I’m in my living room you can’t hear the vans.
‘It really depends on the timbre, Just One Cornetto is loud and high-pitched. It’s the Blue Peter doorbell we use, which it isn’t.
“In the middle of the summer season, you don’t expect to receive those types of complaints.
“Someone has too much free time.”
The father of three has vowed to continue ringing his bells through the streets of Louth despite the complaint.
He added: “I was upset at first but we’re going to keep going to Louth. We’ve been doing it for ten years.
‘The street where the complaint was made, we don’t even go down that street. I know for a fact that you can’t hear mine two or three blocks away. In 10 years I have never had a complaint about my products.