PINO Batista and his family have sold ice cream to the people of Marlow for over 20 years.

But this week, he told how he had been forced to close down his shop in Higginson Park.

Mr Batista's grandfather, Pasquale, began his trade in High Wycombe 50 years ago.

Now Pino runs the Marlow Piazza which he set up more than 20 years ago.

But this week an emotional Mr Batista told how he had been outbid on the concession for the new Higginson Park cafeteria. Mr Batista said: "The shame is this I've built a business in this place.

"I've built relationships with the customers. My family has a good relationship with everybody.

"We've never had a complaint and we've served thousands of people. I will say this, however, "I wish good luck to the new operator. They've outbid me, fair dos."

Mr Batista will continue to trade in the park, running a van serving ice cream by the river.

The current Marlow Piazza building will be demolished, and catering services for the park will be run from the new cafe when it opens.

Joanne Mass, communications officer for the council, said: "Higginson Park is a charitable trust, requiring us to ensure we obtain the best consideration for the cafe.

"Therefore, the contract was put out to competitive tender.

"The proposed new cafe operators offered both highest value and an attractive scheme.

"They have experience of running a very similar cafe in a park in Rickmansworth and came with good references.

"We are very pleased to have recently granted Mr Batista a five year licence to continue trading by the river in Higginson Park in his new ice cream van and are happy that he continues to park next to the cafe whilst it is being built."

The new cafe and toilet block in Higginson Park is expected to open at the end of April.