ICE-LOLLIES survived a fire, which gutted five ice-cream vans, a freezer van and a car.

The amazing lollies were picked from melted wreckage after three fire engines had spent over an hour controlling the blaze Police believe was started deliberately, at a workshop behind the Farmer's Arms pub in Middlewich Road, Rudheath.

At one point the flames leapt 30 feet into the air, said the vans' owner Gareth Thomas.

The vans were worth about £100,000 but it is loss of earnings from ice-cream sales, in a sizzling hot summer, which has hit Gareth and co-owner Shaun Heath the hardest.

Gareth, aged 33, from Grange Road, Rudheath said: "This year's profits have been wiped out. We would expect to make about £800 a week but now we'll be lucky to catch the tail end of the summer.

His son Chris, aged 16, locked-up and left the premises at 10pm, just before the fire started and Gareth fears the attack was a deliberate attempt to put them out of business.

Gareth said: "It's pretty personal when it happens 20-minutes or so after your son has left."

Three engines arrived to tackle the blaze at 11pm.

Shaun, aged 33 of Broadway, Barnton, is also convinced the fire was intended to destroy their business and likened it to the infamous Glasgow ice-cream wars of the 1980s. He said: "You wouldn't think ice-cream wars would happen in Northwich."

The men make and sign-write ice-cream vans as well as selling ice-cream in Northwich, Sandiway, Weaverham and Knutsford.

A new stainless steel-freezer bought in April saved the Ribena Strikers, Festivals and Cornettos from melting.

Surprised Shaun who expected to find slushy water when he opened the freezer said: "I was a bit shocked. The fridge was burned but all the stuff was still frozen inside."

Anyone with information about the incident can call Northwich Police on 01606 48000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.