A family were rained on with saltwater and silt when a dredger spewed its contents into the air near a seafront.

David and Angela Flight and their grandchildren faced the downpour during a day out at Littlestone yesterday.

Their red Ford Fiesta was left covered with the muck, to the point that Mr Flight couldn’t see out of the windows.

He says that eight to nine other cars parked to the left of his were also in the firing line.

Mr Flight, 69, of Chiltern End, Ashford, said: “I could not believe my eyes. There was a massive dredger about 200 yards from the shore throwing silt and saltwater right into the air, about 60 to 70ft up.

“It was like sandy gunge coming through some kind of funnel. It was coming towards the beach.

“It landed on us, like a heavy sand shower. Our car was covered in a coating of sand of water, so much so that we could not see out of any window.”

"I could not believe my eyes... It was like sandy gunge coming through some kind of funnel. It was coming towards the beach" - David Flight

Mr Flight had been visiting the area with his wife Angela, and their grandchildren Madeline Barker, nine and Oscar Barker, five, who are also from Ashford.

They had parked at about 12.15pm within a line of cars facing the beach, near Blenheim Road, and gone for a walk along the seafront.

The silt was spewing out as they returned, at about 1.45pm.

The family themselves only got a light showering of the material.

Mr Flight, a minibus driver for Ashford School, said: "I didn’t have a chance to have a good look at the other cars but I’m sure they must have been dirtied too.

"There were about 12 to 13 cars there in total and eight to nine of the left side of ours would have within reach of the silt.

"Why could they not have closed that section of seafront off to save all this mess to mine and other people’s cars? It seems irresponsible."

The vessel involved is so far unidentified and Kent Online is currently trying to trace who was behind the dredging work.

Do you know what was behind this work? Was your car dirtied as well? Comment below or find us on Twitter or Facebook.