Police are probing a 'nuisance complaint' after two rival ice cream sellers called 'Mr Whippy' and 'Mr Creamy' were witnessed fighting over their cherished town centre pitches.
The traders were spotted in a heated exchange after one claims he was overtaken and then blocked off by his competitor.
The complaint comes after a long-running turf war between Mr Whippy, Mohammed Mulla, and his former employee Mr Creamy, Jahangir Rashid.
It first began in 2015 when Mr Rashid parted company with Mr Whippy after a dispute.
He bought his own ice cream van and started trading in and around Blackburn, Lancs.
Since then, the two men have accused one another of harassment and breaking council rules over parking their vans at least 150 metres apart.
The pair have also been accused of having heated arguments in front of parents and children and following each other around their rival round pitches and streets in the town.
But the spat came to a head during separate nasty confrontations outside two mosques only a few days apart last month.
Footage has emerged online of the second clash on June 21 which shows the pair in a fiery confrontation.
Mr Mulla, 48, claims the argument was sparked when he was blocked off by his rival.
He said: “On June 21 Mr Rashid followed me, overtook me and blocked me with his ice cream van.
“He has done this before and has harassed me repeatedly. This is a serious issue and could lead to collisions and put children at risk.
"I have reported this to the council and police. Mr Rashid is talking nonsense.”
Mr Rashid, 56, hit back and said: “I have not been harassing Mr Mulla. He has been harassing me.
“I did follow him on June 21 but that was to try and resolve the matter.
"I do not follow Mr Whippy around but he has followed me on several occasions.
"I have never tried to obstruct his van. This is a small and petty matter that has got out of hand.”
The clashes echo a previous dispute over ice cream van sales in June 2012 also involving Mr Mulla and Halifax-based Mr Yummy Zeheer Ramzan.
In the latest confrontations involving Mr Mulla, the first took place on Monday, June 17, outside Blackburn’s Troy Street Mosque.
It was repeated the following Friday evening at the nearby Cedar Street Mosque after which Mr Rashid followed Mr Whippy down’s St James’s Road to Earl Street.
Police and Blackburn with Darwen Council are now investigating the two incidents.
A police spokesman said: “We have received a complaint of nuisance.”
A council spokesman said: “We are aware two ice cream sellers are involved in a dispute. We are taking steps to resolve it.”
