A NORTH Yorkshire firm has come up with the ideal thing for the dedicated football fan with a sweet tooth.

In anticipation of World Cup mania Richmond Frozen Confectionery has launched a new ice lolly under its Treats brand.

The football-shaped lolly is a lemonade and cola sorbet, sells at 45p and is expected to be a winner in the coming weeks.

The category marketing manager of the Leeming bar company, Matthew Wilson, said: "It is very competitively priced and, given the massive footballing frenzy already created by the World Cup, this is a 'must stock' product for our retailers."

Following last year's acquisition of Nestl Ice Cream in the UK, Richmond is now the clear number two player in the impulse-buy sector.

It recently announced its trading results for the six months ending March 31 which saw sales rise by over 30 per vent to £42.5m during the seasonally quieter period.