A council has banned ice cream vans from stopping outside schools in a bid to improve the diet of children.
Traders have been warned that if they park up outside schools in defiance their vans will be impounded.
The vans are also not allowed to stop in town centres because they "cause congestion."
Hillingdon Council in west London said they were forced to act because there is "a need to encourage healthier eating habits in children."
But the new regulations were criticised as petty by ice cream sellers - who said headteachers used to welcome them with open arms.
Pete Bhogal, aged 45 years, who has worked as an ice cream man for the last 26 years said the new rules were pointless.
"Ice cream is a dessert, it's not unhealthy. An ice lolly is only unhealthy if you have three or four in one go," he said.
"I go around to schools in the afternoon, the headteachers even invite me there.
"I have seen traders who have had their vans confiscated in Westminster for not observing the rules there. It costs £30-40,000 for a van. It is not right but then you have to observe the law.
"Rules and regulations make our work more challenging and the recession has made it harder too, as people are more cautious with their money, but if the sun shines, I'll be out there. It is a British tradition and they can't ban that."
Traders in Uxbridge, Ruislip and Hayes, west London, will be forced to sell ice creams only in residential streets.
The new healthy eating regulations apply to secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, under five centres and nurseries.
Kathy Sparks, deputy head of environment and consumer protection at Hillingdon Borough Council, said the new rules were necessary to encourage healthy eating.
"Hillingdon Council is not banning ice cream vans but is tightening rules on where they can stop and trade in light of ongoing complaints and concerns from residents and health organisations," she said.
"Ice cream vans now need a licence to trade within the borough and a number of conditions of this licence will be in place.
"These include not trading outside schools where there is a local and national need to encourage healthier eating habits in children.
"The restrictions will also include town centres in a bid to ease congestion problems and respond to noise complaints that have been received."
A council spokeswoman said: "Hillingdon Council is tightening the rules on where ice cream vans can stop, not banning them. It's in an effort to ease congestion and noise complaints, as well as encourage healthier eating habits."
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