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A swirl of brightly coloured ink that had oozed out of containers and spilled across the floor could have been mistaken for a modern day masterpiece that would not have looked out of place in an art exhibition.

But it was actually the scene of a hazardous 1,000-gallon leak of dangerous chemicals which threatened to poison Kent's water supply.

Fire crews rushed to the Howard Hunt Group premises in Dartford to clear up the mammoth amount of multi-coloured ink which they likened to a project from the TV show Art Attack.

Fire crews rushed to the Howard Hunt Group premises in Dartford to clear up the mammoth amount of multi-coloured ink which they likened to a project from the TV show Art Attack

They used clay mats to cover nearby drains to block the ink from dripping into the sewers.

Kent Fire and Rescue tweeted: 'This isn't Art Attack... this is what crews were presented with when attending a spillage of ink in Dartford.

'Firefighters worked to ensure ink didn't go into drains and enter the watercourse. Protecting the environment is a key priority.'

The cause of the leak is being investigated. 

And people on social media also enjoyed the artistic call-out, but some were concerned about the ecological impact. 

Stuart Tranter said: 'That is surely one of the most colourful incidents. The range of incidents our firefighters must cope with is extraordinary. Well done.' 

Others pointed out how the red, blue and yellow splurge of colours resembled a melted Red Bull brand logo.