The so–called 'ice cream wars' were not primarily about ice cream. The 'combatants' were rival criminal organisations selling drugs and stolen goods from bona fide ice cream vans. Sometimes the criminals themselves used the vans to sell ice cream as well as their nefarious goods; at other times, innocent ice cream salesmen were intimidated into doing so. Violence was frequently involved; in the most notable incident, a driver and his family were killed in an arson attack that resulted in a twenty–year court battle. The conflicts generated widespread public outrage, and (according toWikipedia) Strathclyde Police became known as the 'Serious Chimes Squad'.
© Haydn Thompson 2023