An ice-cream man who carried out his round after drinking more than twice the legal alcohol limit has been banned from driving.

Paul Hewlett, 49, of Stafford Road, Waddon, became a dangerous "magnet to children" when he drove a van packed with sweet treats past a primary school on June 18, Croydon Magistrates' Court heard on Monday.

He was arrested yards away from Parish Church Junior School in Warrington Road, where the Ford Transit van had been parked.

It is understood police had been tipped off by concerned parents, who reported smelling alcohol at the van earlier in the week.

Officers waited until Hewlett drove away from the school at around 4.30pm, shortly after children left for the day, and pulled him over in nearby Harrison's Rise.

A roadside test found 79mg of alcohol per 100ml of his breath, more than double the legal driving limit of 35mg.

District judge Karen Hammond told Hewlett that, although his alcohol levels were relatively low, the nature of his vehicle put children more at risk.

She said: "I have to take into account the van was acting as a magnet to children. It is a serious aggravating factor." 

Hewlett, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving without insurance, claimed he had not been selling ice creams on the day of his arrest and had been moving the van 120 yards for a friend.

But Ms Hammond said: "The fact remains you were driving an ice-cream van outside a primary school. It is an unquestionably serious offence."

She banned Hewlett - who has four previous drink-driving convicitions - from driving for 20 months and handed him a community supervision order until January.

She also imposed a six-week curfew that means Hewlett will be electronically tagged and ordered to remain at home between 8pm and 8am. 

He was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surchage.

Parents of Parish Church pupils expressed shock at Hewlett's conviction. 

Mum-of-four Jennifer Bentsi-Enchill said she was "horrified".

The 42-year-old said: "The van is here almost every day, even when the weather is not that nice. It is scary to think what could have happened with all these children around."

Another parent, who has a seven-year-old son at the school but declined to be named, said: "My son has had ice creams from there a few times. It is not good news."

The van driven by Hewlett was impounded by police after his arrest. It is believed to belong to his friend, thought also to sometimes sell ice-creams outside the school.

Waddon resident Barry Watkins, who saw the van towed away, said: "I thought it was funny at first, then I found out what happened. It is terrible really, to think a kid could have been walking around the back of it."

Hewlett declined to comment outside court.