The family behind Davison’s ice cream has hit out at critics who they claim are trying to destroy their business.

They responded after a photo was posted on Facebook over the weekend which purported to show customers ignoring social distancing rules as they queued outside the Peel ice cream parlour.

Davison’s posted their own picture showing customers very much obeying the rules.

The promenade ice cream parlour opened it doors as a takeaway service on April 25 for the first time since the Covid crisis hit the island.

It was a decision which didn’t please everyone and was blamed for an incident in which an ice cream delivery van had all its tyres slashed.

Davison’s posted on Facebook to criticise the ’sad individual’ who had posted the photo of the queue and was ’trying to destroy our business, yet again’.

They said: ’We have never ever had to shut, the government in their own words "urge" every food business to stay open and offer a takeout service where it was safe to do so.

’We chose to close at the start as we felt we didn’t have the adequate protection in place to protect our staff and customers coming into the shop.

’However, we now have everything in place to do this which is why we are open .

’From the day we opened we have had huge red crosses painted on the pavement outside our parlour marking out 2m distances.

’The police have told us on numerous occasions that policing the queue outside the parlour, that is not on our land, is not down to us but down to the people that are queuing to use common sense and use the marks on the pavement.

’I will not be risking the health and well-being of a member of my staff to police a queue.’

Police had found no issues with the queues, they said.

There had also been an inspection from environmental health following a complaint but again they had no issues with the measures that had been put in place.

In a message to the individual who had posted the photo, Davison’s said: ’If you feel sad enough to carry on trying to destroy a local business that’s has served the island for 32 years and has donated well over £200,000 to local charities over this time then carry on, but please never set foot in our shop again.

’But also take note we will be staying open as we have everything in place to do so, and we will carry on serving our customers who appreciate the fact we are open so that they can get the children, or themselves, out of the house and try and restore a bit of normality back into their lives.

’I am sick and tired of the hatred of the minority of our island’s population towards us for simply trying to survive during these hard times and love to see how quickly the #bekind motto has gone out of the window and quick the "get the spiked barrels and throw them down Slieau Whallian" has replaced it.’