CARS were splatted with a “tremendous” amount of white paint following a spillage along a busy road.

Claire Tatum was travelling towards the Brook Street traffic lights in Colchester, from Hythe Hill.

She was on her way to work and was just approaching the lights during rush hour.

While waiting for the traffic lights to change, cars travelling in the opposite direction started flicking up paint which had been spilt on the floor.

Claire’s Hyundai i10 was covered in paint and she had to leave her car at St Mary’s car park until she could get it cleaned.

The paint covered most of the driver’s side and the spray managed to reach the back passenger windows. Her front wheels were turned completely white.

Thankfully she managed to get most of the paint off by taking it to a car wash and there is no lasting damage.

She was able to drive the car safely to the car park without having her vision blocked.

Claire’s dad Adrian said there must have been other people in the same boat and he wanted to find out what happened.

He said: “It was on Monday morning at about 8.45am.

“As she was waiting for the lights to change it happened.

“The paint was still quite wet and cars coming the other way were flicking it up on other cars.”

Adrian went back yesterday to check on the area but said the mess had been cleared.

He was left puzzled as to how the paint got there but believes it could have fallen off the back of someone’s vehicle.

He said it must have been a large amount of paint to have caused so much damage.

Adrian added: “There was no paint at all when I went but there must have been a tremendous amount. It could have fallen off the back of a lorry.”

He said Claire’s car, which she has owned since 2015, still has some flecks of paint in the crevices but after taking it to get cleaned, most of the damage has gone.

The family is now appealing for information and wants to find out if any other cars were damaged after the incident.

Adrian said: “There must have been other people in the same boat. I think the paint was on the opposite side of the road to where Claire was and it was just being flicked up.

“It looked like some kind of white emulsion.”

 Anyone with information should call the Gazette on 01206 508414.