A popular ice cream man who served his community for 46 years has died.

Fiorindo Necchi-Ghiri was diagnosed with stage four cancer in October and died last week at the age of 69.

Mr Necchi-Ghiri, who was known as Fred, got his first ice cream van in February 1977 and has followed nearly the same route around Gravesend and parts of Medway ever since.

His daughter Carla has paid tribute to him, saying: "He loved his job, literally loved it. He never retired, he could have retired years ago but he just never wanted to.

"He loved talking to the customers, he'd seen generations grow up, he served their children and then their children – he just loved it.

"And they loved him, he was a massive Arsenal fan and he had a lot of football banter with the customers.

"He was just such a kind and lovely person, and the thing was he kept his prices like 1970 prices, he still charged 50p for an ice cream.

"He always said it's really difficult for families to be able to afford this as a treat and I just want to make it affordable."

She said he was forever giving children ice cream and "never" saw a child without one.

"Everyone would always tell me he was so kind," she said. "He literally just loved the job, I think the customers will miss him dearly.

"The last day he was out was in September and he worked all through the summer so its not like he just left his ice cream round, they're still expecting him to be back.

"He never really worked the winter so they're probably just thinking he's having his normal break."

He served at Riverview Infant School in Gravesend for 30 years.

She said: "It's going to have a massive impact on the children and the parents because they've seen him for years and years.

"He's just going to leave such a massive void in all our lives, he was just such an amazing man and to see that he suffered so much in the end is just so sad.

"He was married to my mum for 35 years, they did get divorced about 16 years ago but they were still best friends, so he was an absolute huge family man.

"Food, cooking, Arsenal, Italy, his little village and ice cream – that sums my dad up. He was just the kindest soul."

Fred was diagnosed with stage four cancer on October 26 after going to A&E for a pain in his leg that wasn't healing.

The cancer spread from his bladder to his bones, and he died in the evening of February 8.

Carla said: "He just deteriorated very very quickly. It was very sudden. To make things worse he slipped and broke his femur about two weeks later. This delayed him starting treatment.

"He managed to have one lot of radiotherapy but it had already spread, it was quite aggressive and it was already stage four when he got diagnosed.

"But up until that point my dad was doing everything as normal."

Fred came to London from Italy when he was about six years old. His parents had a cafe in North London which he would help out at.

He met Carla's mum – Theresa – who is from Gravesend, in a little Italian club in London, and the pair married in St John's Church when he was 21 and she was 19.

When he moved to Gravesend, he started working in factories. They went on to have five children and 14 grand-children.

The family also owned Papa's Ice Cream factory in Gravesend, and Theresa's dad was an ice-cream man as well.

Mr Necchi-Ghiri was born in a small village in the north of Italy, and when he was a young boy he lost his hearing.

Carla said: "He was pretty deaf and he literally lip-read but he never let it hold him back, he never saw it as a disability.

"He would hate anyone to think it was a disability, he just didn't see it as a problem.

"Our lives will never be the same without dad, he was a huge character that will never be forgotten."

The funeral will be held at 1pm on Thursday, February 23 at St John's Catholic Evangelist Church, in Gravesend.

Afterwards, all will be welcome to the Best Western Hotel in Singlewell Road.