WE'VE all been there this summer - heard the jingle of the ice cream van and dashed off for a dollop of the white stuff.

Now calls are being made for Worcestershire to make the most of its dairy produce - by declaring every August ice cream MONTH.

The suggestion has been made by Councillor Richard Udall, who admits it "may appear a daft idea" but insists he is "deeply serious" about it.

The Labour veteran, who is his party's rural affairs spokesman in Worcestershire, wants talks with the county council about taking it on and developing the idea - which appears flaky at the moment, if you will - into a proper policy.

He says the move would help the rural economy, give a leg-up to food producers and could help the takings of many small traders who sell it.

It follows a summer in which experts say UK ice cream sales smashed through the £1 billion barrier, with the market extremely buoyant.

The Ice Cream Alliance, the main trade body, believes struggling dairy farmers should diversify into ice cream production to help their bottom line.

Councillor Udall says bosses at County Hall could give Worcestershire another string to its bow by devising a new policy around making August ice cream month.

He said: "At first glance this may appear to be a daft idea, but I am deeply serious about this.

"We have some magnificent local ice cream producers who make a tasty and quality product, available across the county.

"We also have a struggling dairy industry - most local ice cream producers have their own herd and produce ice cream from their own milk.

"The council has been very silent on ways it can promote the local rural economy and to help struggling food producers - they could and should do much more.

"We need to focus on our tourist attractions, our riverside, our public parks and open spaces.

"Get people out and enjoying our countryside and consuming local produce."

A spokesman for the Ice Cream Alliance said sales are expected to grow year on year until at least 2020, with each person now consuming "an average of nine litres a year" of it.

The body says it backs any move to promote ice cream and would support an annual campaign-style effort.

The idea is being sent to the county council's cabinet to consider.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, cabinet member for localism and communities, said: "It's something we'd have to consult about with the trade, but we do have some fantastic ice cream in this county like Bennetts - it's just another example of world class Worcestershire."