City authorities said the proposed ban on all takeaway food, including the pizza and gelato beloved by so many Italians, would strike a balance “between socialising and entertainment, and the peace and tranquillity of residents”.

A similar proposal was made in 2013 but abandoned after the ‘Occupy Gelato’ movement took to the streets in protest.

Milanese council leaders have now said any new ban will exclude ice cream, Sky News reports – and more consultation will take place on banning other food items too.

The decision was welcomed by the Italian Federation of Business, whose president Lino Enrico Stoppani said: “The anti-ice cream law was absurd and was a devastating message for the tourism we live on.”