This is maybe germane to the Northerner's current discussion of North/South health: Carlisle magistrates have just heard how a father made violent threats to try to get his primary age son seven puddings in a row.

The five-year-old had already put away six bowlfuls of ice cream – none of them just single-scoop helpings – when the chef at the Sweet Briar restaurant in Appelby-in-Westmorland put his foot down.

The bench heard how he told 37-year-old Ed Potts from Sunderland: No more - the child has had enough and we're actually running low on stocks which we need for other customers.

The court was told that that Potts' friend Darren Gates, 40 and from South Shields, then pointed out a black eye on the child and said: "That's what happens when you don't give the governor what he wants." Prosecutor Adrianne Harris said that the chef stood firm but went back into his kitchen to avoid further confrontation.

Potts, who was very drunk, burst and made violent threats, demanding that the chef come outside to fight. He was shoved out by staff but his place was taken by Gates, in spite of the fact that the restaurant was busy with other customers.

Both men admitted threatening behaviour and apologised to the court, with their defence solicitor Mohammed Aftab telling the bench that, although it was no excuse, they were so drunk that they thought that they were the ones in danger. Each was given 12 months probation and 60 hours of unpaid community work. The seventh helping was not served.