Soaring gas prices trigger meltdown for ice cream van operators

The ice cream van's jingles have made children happy for generations, but soaring gas prices are making the van extinct.

Operators warn that the future of the industry is looking bleak due to the rising cost of filling their fuel tanks.

Ice cream machines in vans are more expensive to operate due to rising fuel costs.

Operators work as many hours as possible in the summer to maximize profits and make up for the lower demand in the winter.

The high cost of fuel could cause many Britons to leave the country this winter.

"We're going to see vans parking up early in September when summer holidays end, which has never happened before," said Maurice Murray, chairman of the Ice Cream Mobilisers.

Ice cream used to be affordable but is now a luxury because of higher operating costs.

Some operators might decide to park their vans permanently. At the end of the summer season ice cream van owners will realize they don't have enough money to make it through the winter and the future looks very bleak for them.

The average price of a gallon of gas in the UK is more than double the average price in the US and more than double the cost in Europe.