CRISPS in the seat grooves, ice cream slopped on the upholstery, ‘chewy' in the door pockets, spilt fizzy drinks - we've all endured it at some time.

And just when you think the car has survived the latest onslaught from the kids and their grubby mates, you find a half eaten buttie in a back seat flap and a smear of melted chocolate.

Now Ford is trying to ease the stress for mums and dads by "child-proofing" the new B-MAX compact people carrier.

Engineers subjected the new model, launched earlier this winter, to laboratory tests that simulate the toughest treatment that children and pets can dish out.

It included soaking materials in milk and fizzy drinks, testing fabrics with a spiky mace and pounding plastics with a heavy rubber ball.

Samples of all leathers and fabrics used in the Ford B-MAX's interior were tested for stain resistance and ease of cleaning after being soaked for 24 hours in the liquids and also being covered with soil and grease.

Engineers also tested resistance to damage that can be caused by abrasive zips and fasteners found on children's clothing and bags.

In fact the mace test used a metal ball with needle-sharp spikes to brush fabrics 600 times and replicate the effect of snagging zips and studs. Engineers also carried out a special test to repeatedly rub the seat material with Velcro.

Impact tests - conducted at temperatures as low as -30C when plastic is more brittle - used a rubber ball 10 times heavier than a regulation football to ensure that plastic parts could withstand bumps and knocks.

Fabrics were also rubbed 60,000 times in a 17-hour non-stop wear test, metal spikes were scraped across plastic parts to test scratch resistance and carpets were checked for durability on a special test rig fitted with rough abrasion wheels.

Ford's senior materials engineer Mark Montgomery said: "By testing for everything from soft drink spills to muddy boots, we've made sure the B-MAX interior is ready for anything.

"We've done everything possible to make sure the car looks as good the thousandth time that families sit in it as it does the first time."