A FORMER ice-cream man has been refused permission to work as a street trader due to his violent past.

His application for street trading consent was considered by members of Bolton Council’s licensing and environmental committee earlier this week.

But the committee found the would-be trader was “not a fit and proper person” to hold such consent after considering his evidence, as well as that of daughter, solicitor and the police.

Police evidence revealed that the applicant had been involved in a number of incidents — including two cases of assault, that “clearly indicated a pattern of violent behaviour which would pose a risk to public safety.

The committee found this was “particularly concerning” as the applicant would come into contact with both young and vulnerable members of the public in an “unsupervised arena” during the course of the operating consent.

Members were also told that two of the violent incidents occurred during the time when the applicant held street trading consent as an ice cream van at the time.

And minutes of a meeting held by Wigan Council in 2017 revealed that consent for street trading it issued to the applicant has been revoked due to a number of complaints between April and July last year.

Minutes from the meeting, which was held in private explain, state the committee gave “careful consideration to all the evidence” and explain the reason for the members’ decision.

They say: “The committee’s primary duty is concern for the safety and wellbeing of the public.

“There is therefore reasonable cause to refuse to grant the street trading consent.”

The application had originally been submitted to the meeting on September 19 last year. But it was deferred at the request of the applicant’s solicitor in order to give him more time to consider information he had received.

The meeting was chaired by Cllr Madeleine Murray.