AN ICE cream dessert parlour which opened in Basingstoke four years ago has closed down.

Sundaes Gelato, in Winchester Street, at the Top of Town, has signs posted up outside stating that it has now shut.

The news comes after the Gazette ran an article about other businesses in the Top of Town stating how tough it is to operate in the area, which has become renowned as a place where people congregate to drink alcohol.

Sundaes Gelato was opened in August 2015 by husband and wife team Waheed and Sue Zafaree, who took on the franchise, moving into the premises previously occupied by Café Rouge.

The Gazette has attempted to contact the owners but has not received a response.

We do not know if the Basingstoke franchise is still owned by the same people.

Last year, the restaurant expanded its menu launching savoury options including burgers, hot dogs, ribs, kebabs and sandwiches.

It has a rating of 3.9 on TripAdvisor, out of 49 reviews, and a top hygiene rating of five out of five.

There were mixed reactions from people responding to the news that it had shut on social media.

Adam Hockley said he would be “sad to see the place go”, while Trevor Hill said: “The service in there was awful. Could have done a lot more to save themselves. I’m afraid this one was inevitable. Shame really.”

Jennifer Siegrist expressed her disappointment that the Basingstoke branch has closed, after raving about it in a blog post following a visit there in June, saying: “The gelato here is really good. It is smooth and has a lot of flavour. In short, if you are planning on visiting Basingstoke, or passing near, I recommend a stop at Sundaes Gelato.”

Charlotte Aman described the venue as a “let down”, and Mike Carpenter posted: “Where else could you get a kebab and an ice cream?”