Mike Dixon is in a row with Bournemouth council's insurers over £20 after a roadsweeper drove past his just-cleaned car and made it dirty.

Mr Dixon was left furious when the day after paying £15 to get his Nissan Note n-tec washed, a Bournemouth Council street-cleaning vehicle drove past it spraying mud all over the car.

He asked the council driver to reimburse him the £15 he had paid less than 24 hours earlier so he could get his car cleaned again.

According to Mr Dixon the driver said he was unable to give him the money and the incident would have to be dealt with through the council.

But after contacting the council asking for the £15 to re-wash his car plus £5 for the time and trouble he was told the incident would have to be dealt with like an insurance claim.

“It’s just utter madness,” said Mr Dixon, who lives in Baring Road.

“The driver admitted responsibility at the side of the road and all I want is £20 to rectify the situation but no one at the council seems to have any common sense.

“They just seem like jobsworths. No one has actually taken the time to look at my complaint and think we can sort this out easily and quickly.

“Instead they have wasted time and money dealing with it through the insurance which will probably affect the council’s excess.”

Mr Dixon still doesn’t know if and when he will be reimbursed the money he spent cleaning his car.

“For me it’s the principle of the matter,” he added.