High Court injunction to keep ice cream vans away from Bankside

Southwark Council introduced a ban on itinerant ice cream selling on the riverside between Oxo Tower Wharf and St Saviour's Dock in November 2010.

The council says that Elma Sanli, who runs a fleet of ice cream vans, has previously been prosecuted and fined repeatedly for illegal street trading within a prohibited area.

The latest trial took place at the Royal Courts of Justice. His Honour Judge Seymour QC made a permanent injunction against Elma Sanli and her company. The injunction prevents Ms Sanli, her family and employees from trading within the prohibited area. It also stipulates the route her vehicles need to take to pass through the exclusion area. Southwark Council was awarded total costs of £21,500.

"By persistently breaking the law she not only posed a potential health risk to innocent visitors here, but she caused continual disruption to the residents who were at their wits' end with her antisocial behaviour," says Cllr Barrie Hargrove, Southwark's cabinet member for environment.

"Some traders have been charging tourists extortionate sums for an ice cream and this sort of cynical pricing gives the area, and genuine traders there, a really bad name. I hope this sends a signal that we won't tolerate dodgy traders like this one."