AN ice cream salesman who was viciously stabbed while on his rounds in Southall has had to install CCTV cameras in his van to make himself feel safe.

Jermain Mattan, an 18-year-old, of King Steet, Southall, was found guilty of stabbing Andrew Fernandes by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday.

Mr Fernandes, 44, was serving customers in Saxon Road, Southall, on July 4 when Jermain Mattan and two friends approached his van asking for free ice cream.

When Mr Fernandes refused Mattan grabbed a sauce bottle from the counter of the van.

Mr Fernandes said: "I grabbed the bottle off him and told him not to do that, but I wasn't aggressive and didn't swear at him.

"Then I saw he put his hand in his right pocket and pulled out the knife and asked him three times are you going to use that?' "Then he lunged at me and stabbed me in the chest just below my ribs and the three of them ran off."

Moments later the three were stopped by police on the Uxbridge Road when Mr Fernandes came down the road in his van.

He said: "The police were about to let them go and I did not know what to do so I just ran up and started shouting at them and the police told me to calm down and sent me back to wait in my van.

"When they came to see me I showed them the blood where I had been stabbed and when they asked who did it I pointed to Jermaine and they arrested him immediately."

Mr Fernandes told the Ealing Times of his delight at the verdict.

He said: "I feel like justice has been done now, I'm really happy with the result.

"I've installed CCTV in my van to make me feel safer, and now all the drug addicts don't come any more and more kids are coming out to see me.

"There's no more bullying in the queue now and everyone is much happier."