Drivers left with mucky cars after putrid waste was split in the streets of Colney Heath have the opportunity to have their vehicles cleaned for free.

At the beginning of August a haulage truck travelling towards Agrivert’s North London AD Facility on Coursers Farm got lost and accidentally split a foul by-product of dog food into the street.

Villagers had to endure a strong sewage smell surrounding the area, pedestrians were forced to walk through the waste in the street, and cars had to slop through muck on the High Street, Coursers Road, and down the A414.

Since then district councillor Chris Brazier has been lobbying for the haulage company CP Allen and Son to compensate people whose cars are still affected by the “sickening” smell.

He said the company will be conducting steam car cleans for free outside Colney Heath Football Club next week.

Cllr Brazier said: “I think it’s really good news from the haulage company, very good for their PR.

“It’s also very good for the residents who had to drive through this smelly stuff which still lingers on their cars when they drive along.

“Hopefully the haulage company will have learned a lesson out of this.”

The facility in Colney Heath processes all the food waste recycled in caddies across St Albans district - the waste transported by a CP Allen truck was on a trial run to the plant and was later refused by Agrivert for being too foul.

Multiple agencies were called to help deal with the spillage, including Herts police, Herts county council, St Albans district council, Thames Water, Affinity Water, the Environment Agency and parish councillors.

A spokesperson from CP Allen and Son said: “Our position is that it is with great regret this incident has happened, as a small family run company we have never been involved in an incident like this before and have taken steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

He said they dealt with the incident by communicating with St Albans district council, Agrivert, and commercial waste company Veolia, and now commissioning this deep clean of the affected vehicles.

He added: “The weather being particularly hot and dry has certainly exasperated the situation, however the forecast for the next few days for cooler and wet conditions is the best thing to dissipate the last of the residual odour.

“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to all residents for the inconvenience this has caused.”

Cllr Brazier said people with cars damaged by the waste should contact Colney Heath Parish Council for a cleaning appointment, which he says will be available from Tuesday to Thursday next week.

Were you affected by the spillage? Let us know at hertsad@archant.co.uk