An ice cream van was smashed up in front of horrified children as part of a bitter turf war, a Court heard.

The violent confrontation, in Horton Park, Little Horton, Bradford, last summer saw rival sellers squaring up to each other with weapons.

In the dock at Bradford Crown Court yesterday were ice cream salesmen Tariq Mahmood and Yasar Akhtar.

The men, both 20, pleaded guilty to affray on August 15 last year.

Prosecutor Elyas Patel said trouble flared in the park on the Saturday afternoon as children played.

Akhtar was selling cornets from his Super Whippy van when Mahmood sped up in his ice cream van.

Mahmood ran to Akhtar’s van and smashed every window in a frenzied attack with a wrench.

He battered the bonnet and doors of the vehicle which was decorated with cartoon characters, the court heard.

“Akhtar had done nothing wrong and was the victim of an unprovoked and extensive attack,” Mr Patel said.

“His vehicle was given a thorough going-over by Mr Mahmood.”

Akhtar then joined in the battle, striking Mahmood’s van with a metal bar, saying: “Come on, big man.” The back light was smashed in the attack.

The two ice cream men were squaring up to each other, armed with the wrench and bar, when someone shouted, “Police”. They ran back to their vans and were arrested at the scene.

Akhtar, of Lister Lane, Bolton Road, Bradford, showed officers a cut on his back he said he suffered in the violence.

He accused Mahmood of following him as part of the rivalry, before smashing up his van.

Mahmood, of Cecil Avenue, Great Horton, Bradford, said Akhtar should have left the park by 3pm as part of their territory-sharing agreement.

Ian Hudson, Mahmood’s solicitor advocate, said his client was working for his father who had sold ice cream for 25 years. The elders in both families had now resolved the problem of who sold ice cream on which patch and when, the court heard.

Judge Peter Benson described it as “an ice cream turf war”.

“It was an atrocious piece of conduct in front of the young children you should have been selling ice cream to,” he told the defendants.

Both men were sentenced to 12-month community orders. Mahmood must do 180 hours’ unpaid work and Akhtar 80 hours.

Each was ordered to pay £50 towards the prosecution costs.