Ice cream vans could be ditching their well-known jingles for chart hits this summer.

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We've all been in our gardens or sat at home when we've heard the familiar chime of the local ice cream van rolling down the road.

Some historians believe Roman emperor Nero Claudius Caesar (37-68 A.D) was one of the first brains behind ice creams after apparently sending runners to the mountain in search for snow which could be flavoured with fruit juices.

It's also suggested New Yorker Thomas Carvellos offered cones of ice cream out in 1929 after stock he had in the back of his delivery van was beginning to melt after he got a flat tyre.

The first van jingle however, was attributed to American candymaker Harry Burt who attached sleigh bells to announce his presence when going through his usual routes.

And from their the famous ice cream van jingle began to grow and became a common summer time memory for people.

In 2003 laws changed which allowed drivers to play their jingle for 12 seconds, rather than the previous four seconds. They were also allowed to play the chime every two minutes now instead of every three.

But ice cream van chimes could be up for its biggest shake up in one Kent borough, with councillors from Swale council set to discuss whether or not vendors can change their chimes to what they like.

Councillors from the authority are set to make a decision on updating it's street trading policy at a full council meeting tonight.

The current regulation forces ice cream vendors to register and use a specific tune.

It was originally imposed to help with enforcement but traders have complained that they can't switch tracks when rivals use the same chime.

Ice cream vans and mobile food vehicles like burger bars will also have to supply details of their proposed routes, streets and stopping places to reduce complaints from other traders if the full council agrees to the changes.

The idea of changing chimes for popular chart hits has been floated about before, and it was originally thought a classic, constant chime would be more symbolic of your local ice cream man coming into your road rather than be mistaken for someone playing loud music.

It's also thought certain songs may not resonate with different generations of people like an ice cream van jingle.

The most common jingle in the UK is Greensleeves which is thought to have been written by King Henry VIII.

Last week ice cream vendors in Kent opened up on the challenges of trying to work through lockdown and the demise of the traditional cone.

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