Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A road has turned into the Milky Way after 15,000 litres of milk leaked from a trailer onto the tarmac and froze over as the drain taps had been opened.

The bizarre incident happened in Ruethen, a town located in the Western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to local police, unknown perpetrators managed to open the drain taps of a parked milk trailer when the driver detached it to collect more milk at adjacent farms.

Picture Credits: CEN/FF Ruethen

When the driver of the milk transporter came back, he found that around 15,000 litres of milk had leaked onto the road.

As the temperatures that evening were minus 5 degrees Celsius, the milk quickly froze over.

A fire brigade spokesman said the milk had “spilled over the entire width of the carriageway” creating dangerous slippery conditions for drivers.

The spokesman said: “The fire brigade’s 20 firefighters deployed two hose pipes and washed the milk off the road with about 20,000 litres of water.”

The fire brigade also called the road construction authority to sprinkle salt on the road to combat the slippery surface.

It took a total of 20 firefighters to clear the road of the frozen milk.

The fire brigade spokesman said: “The mission was finished by our comrades at around 00.30am.”

An investigation into the incident has begun.