Evening, not been posting much over the summer with tons of work on but I need some forum advice and wisdom if you could all oblige?

Took the car to Farnells in Leeds today for a 4th/60k mile service, car was with them all day and they also looked at a faulty rear door latch under extended warranty.

Collected the car around 5:15 and had to drive to Birstall (4miles away) to collect something, noticed that everytime I stopped in traffic or at lights there was a smell of diesel in the cabin, eventually noticed that there was smoke coming from the engine bay too when idling for longer periods of time. Rang Farnells who immediately said bring it back, got back there at 6:10 to a very sheepish workshop supervisor who opened the bonnet to find the engine bay covered in diesel all over the passenger side of the car.

It looks like the Tech who worked on the car hasn't connected the fuel filter up correctly when replacing it, suffice to say the whole experience scared the crap out of me thinking the car could have gone up on flames? (Maybe I'm wrong, does diesel needs compression to ignite?)

Also very worried about the potential damage this will have done in the engine bay, I believe that rubber hoses and belts don't react well to being doused in diesel so I would like anyone's advice on what I should be asking Farnells to replace!

I'm no expert but any hot surface is a source for ignition, luckily diesel has a high flashpoint in its liquid form and is not easily ignited but if it was a leak under high pressure and vapourised, I would be worried. Even so it would scare me a little as the risk would still be high in my book.

In days gone by diesel oil contamination on rubber hoses could eventually turn them to 'mush' but today's hoses I don't know. I would imagine a professional engine bay steam clean paid for would be sufficient and anything else they might offer for your inconvenience.