A street in Germany has been unexpectedly 'paved with chocolate'.

It happened in the town of Westönnen, near Werl on Monday evening following a leak at the local DreiMeister factory.

A 'tonne' of liquid chocolate spread over the street after a tank overflowed.

Firefighters called to the scene discovered a "ten-square-meter choco-pancake" which quickly hardened out on the cold street.

Fire crews had to grab shovels and break the chocolate mass apart.

A specialist company was then called in to help clean the street.

The factory itself, meanwhile, was set to reopen today.

In a statement, firefighters assured locals: "Despite the heartbreaking incident, it is unlikely that a chocolate-free Christmas is imminent."