Police were called in after two ice cream vendors nearly came to blows at Whitstable Harbour.

One had parked his van in front of the van that usually trades out of the harbour and then two vendors were seen squabbling on Sunday.

It emerged that the owner of the second van did not have a licence to trade from the harbour and was given a parking ticket.

Police said they were made aware of the incident at 10.35am and attended an hour later when it had still not been resolved.

Spokesman Jane Walker said: “At one point they were blocking each other’s counters and stopping customers from using either van over a dispute that one had a licence to sell.

“The vans still did not move so a police officer went along and talked to one of the drivers, a 47-year-old man from Swanley, who then decided to leave.

“It seems that he took the advice of the police officer and no offences were recorded.”

Council spokesman Rob Davies added: “The Whitstable Harbour Board has given one ice cream trader a pitch at the harbour, for which he pays a fee.

“Nobody else has permission to sell ice cream from a mobile van at the harbour.

“There was an incident at the harbour on Sunday, which resulted in another ice cream trader receiving a penalty charge notice for parking his van outside a marked bay.”