The Wishing Well Inn in Dyke will serve food from former French police riot van

For most people dining out on April 12, a police vehicle is the last thing they want to see.

However, customers at The Wishing Well Inn in Dyke have welcomed the news that their dinner will be served fresh from a former French police riot van.

Phillip Femminile, who co-owns the pub with his cousins Laura and Salvatore, said: “We were going to put an outdoor pizza oven at the pub.

“I used to have Italian restaurants for about 20 years in and around Stamford and cooking out of a wood burning oven was fantastic.

“I thought for a bit of fun we could do pizza and get us back like the older days.”

Last year, Phillip’s wife, Emma, spotted a 1978 police riot van from the south of France was up for sale.

Phillip, who is also passionate about vintage vehicles, ‘fell in love’ with the van, which had previously been converted with a woodburning pizza oven and was being used for festivals.

He said: “There is a lot of history in Bourne to do with vintage cars and motor racing.

“Lots of people come to see the truck and for pizza.

“There are many retired individuals here with a lot of interest in cars.”

The ‘table service only’ rules will prevent people collecting their food from the van but Phillip has stationed it in the middle of their outside area so it is visible to everyone.

The ‘outdoor only’ rule for the hospitality trade has also caused unease across the industry.

Phillip said: “I’m apprehensive; everyone is after six months off.

“With the weather dependency it’s really juggling how much you invest in opening in terms of buying heaters, tarpaulin and marquees.

“If it rains solidly for months it doesn’t matter how many heaters you have, people won’t come out to eat.”

For more information visit: www.thewishingwellinn.co.uk.