A POLICE officer and two council officials have been cleared of involvement in a conspiracy to make thousands of pounds from selling ice cream at a top tourist spot.

But an ice cream seller who pleaded guilty at the start of the trial at Middlesex Guildhall Crown, now faces punishment.

Beat officer PC Christopher Keenan, aged 39, from Sevenoaks, Southwark Council market inspector Anthony Whittaker, aged 61, of Moat Court, Sidcup, and street trading manager Leslie Armstrong, aged 45, from Chadwell Heath, Essex, who also worked for Southwark, were cleared of conspiracy to corrupt an officer of a public body and perverting the course of justice.

During the trial it was alleged PC Keenan had run a business with ice cream seller James McCall, aged 42, of Pointer Close, Thamesmead.

PC Keenan's duties included clamping down on illegal street traders in the booming tourist area around Tate Modern.

Instead, it was claimed, he set up McCall in an ice cream van, bribing Whittaker and Armstrong to grant McCall temporary trading licences, and tipping him off when raids were to take place.

Keenan denied making thousands of pounds from McCall's illegal trading.

He claimed a deposit to his bank account of more than £3,000 was compensation for a police car accident.

Armstrong and Whittaker denied pocketing £6,000 between them in bribes.

Whittaker claimed he was following orders when he handed out the permits, while Armstrong said he had authorised the temporary licences to test the water for a future scheme.

McCall, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to corrupt an officer of a public body, all between May 2000 and November 2003, will be sentenced at a future date.

A further court hearing in May will decide whether Keenan, Whittaker and Armstrong will face a further charge of misconduct in a public office.