AN NHS worker will be forced to pick up the tab after his car was damaged when puddles of red paint were left over a main Colchester road.

Mark Robertson was travelling into work at Colchester General Hospital early on Friday morning when he drove through the paint in the Avenue of Remembrance, covering the sides and chassis of his car.

“It’s been a bit of a nightmare,” he said.

“I was trying to avoid an animal which had been hit on the road and by the time I saw the paint there was no time to safely miss it.

“When it happened I went straight to a garage and tried to wash it off as best I could using diesel and petrol - whatever I could get my hands on.”

NHS IT technician Mr Robertson, 50, who commutes from Eversley Road, in Benfleet to Colchester, drives a dark grey Ford Kuga.

“When I decided I couldn’t get it off I had to take it to a repair garage and I’ve been quoted over £1,600 - I could have had an accident and had to pay less.

“My insurance will cover this but my excess is still a substantial amount as there is no one else to claim from.”

Mr Robertson will now have to pay a £300 excess.

Essex Police confirmed officers were called to the scene at 6.46am on Friday but passed the issue to Essex County Council.

Tracey Chapman, Essex County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said highway officers attended as an emergency.

She added: “The paint had been run into the road’s surface by the time we got there.

“We are hoping that the paint stain will be eroded away quite quickly as it is a very busy road.

“Whilst it should pose no danger to traffic we acknowledge that it will affect the appearance of the road for the short term.”